Shafted by the Floods

[chadly]

Well last summer I had a rental home hit pretty good by the flood. The water in the streets was so high that if forced the water back through the man holes and up the floor drain in the basement. I lost a furnace, hot water heater, and clothes dryer. In addition I had to tear out the bottom two feet of dry wall and replace. New flooring, paint, doors, and trim and its back to normal again.

The neat part is my insurance covered nothing! They claim they do not have any control of how the city designs or maintains the storm water systems and cannot be held liable for their mistakes. The city says their systems were fine it’s just there was too much water. My claim was denied. But my water bill has since gone up as the city changed to rate so they could update and improve the storm water systems!

Bottom line I lost over $4,000 on that one house plus all my time (over one week) and labor to redo it all. My tenant was able to get $2,400 from FEMA and also put a claim into Red Cross. She did loose a junk ($200 at best) clothes washer through the whole thing. Since I’m an owner of rentals all money that government was given to hand out I’m not eligible for. Rentals are considered businesses and we all know how the government treats US businesses. Had I been a renter I could of falsely filed a report and had a new roller cam, heads, and intake.

 

[DIAZ 87]

one way you can protect your self from flooding is putting flood control system in front of your house or in the basement(back water valve).Basically this is a one way valve that allows water to flow to the main and prevent water from backing up into the house.Also would recommend to have an ejector pump install with this unit so one can still use water in the house as the main sewer system is charge up.
Many people here in the chicagoland had the same problem with the city/villages sewers backing up into the basement floor drain.

Just to let you now never attempt to try and relight the water heater after the basement water has drained out.VERY DANGEROUS CAN CAUSE WATER HEATER TO EXPLODEJUST BUY A NEW WATER HEATER

 

[seeyabye]

Good God. Now I remember why I don't own any rental property. The government enables renters to sh!t on landlords. I'm surprised you didn't have to put your renter up in a hotel until you had the house fixed. Insurance companies are a joke just like big banks; protected by the government and bailed out with taxpayer money. No wonder the economy is in the toilet, the government punishes people for succeeding and rewards people for failing.

 

[DIAZ 87]

this is what i see all the time when we get massive flooding due to rain.For the most part insurance companies screw many people of their claims.You guys need to make sure that your house has every single coverage of all types of flooding or water damage insurance.

This is wye i stated above to install a flood control system in the house to prevent the BS that your insurance just might give you
Also would recommend to use braided hoses for you washing machine if the unit is not in the basement.

 

[chadly]

I looked into the flapper valve and to put it in would require me to take out a wall before I can tear up the concrete. I would think it would be code to have one in when the house was built. But I understand that they tend to collect a lot junk and end up not working sometimes. Any way I bought a plug and taught the renter what to do if a flood were ever to come again. I also cancelled my insurance and move to another company that offers coverage in this and other areas that my prior did not.

What really frustrates me is the fact that the harder I work the more I have to give. From this mishap I was able to see first hand how the system works. There are several rentals on the block where my home is and a couple of landlords are in the same position as me. We take the hit and our tenants get a reward. My understanding is that my tenant got partially what she got because she did not have renters insurance. What’s the reason to carry renters insurance if you will be bailed out anyway? One landlord across the street that I’ve never met let his duplex go into foreclosure as he did not have the funds to fix it.

 

[DIAZ 87]

You can also install lift station in the basement.A lift station is basically having all your basement fixtures and floor drains draining into a Ejector pump
pit,then the pump will discharge it into your sewer stack in the basement.the only way your going to flood would be if water got to the level of the 1st floor or lost electrical power.
What im saying is reroute your plumbing in the basement so its not directly
connect to the sewer

 

[chadly]

Just curious as to what your car runs. I have a very similar set up including the same stall and Jimmy’s trans. I could not believe how much faster the car felt after the new stall converter was installed.

 

[DIAZ 87]

Just curious as to what your car runs. I have a very similar set up including the same stall and Jimmy’s trans. I could not believe how much faster the car felt after the new stall converter was installed.

i would say im in the very high 12's to low 13's, i raced my co-workers 03 vette and bet him by 2 car length with drag radial