Plumb Place: An Insurance Scam?
This is my 11th post trying to save Plumb Place.
I keep hearing that the roof of Plumb Place was heavily damaged in a hail storm and requires a huge amount of $$$ repairs.
The first I heard of this was when a bid was offered in December, and by you-know-who. He later reduced his offer due to a claim of significant hail damage to the roof.
Then, another person posted on Facebook about the terrible condition of the roof.
On my own blog, somebody recently wrote: “The roof require[s] total replacement at a horrendous cost.”
This past weekend, an interested couple toured the house. They later said that the roof is in such bad condition that a massive check (tens and tens of thousands of dollars) is already written and will be presented to the new owner to redo the roof.
Golly. Things must be really bad!
Curiously though, my historic house directly across the street was in the same hail storm and suffered zero roof damage. My car was in the same storm (with me in it) and it, too, received no damage.
Recently, I did a post on this. I add more in this post.
See any damage? I don’t. The roof looks new. It dates from 2018, as Patrick discovered.
Click on the images. They all hugely enlarge.
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In walking around the entire structure I could not see any damage. Not even a torn asphalt shingle. Nothing. The massive roof looks as good as it did when installed four years ago.
So, why did an insurance company cut a massive check for roof damage? If this is true, who contacted the company to file such a claim? What evidence was offered? Was such “evidence” from another house?
I find all this deeply disturbing. For, is this an insurance scam in plain sight?
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Is “Hail” a new species of termite we don’t know about? Or wood worm?
That’s all I can think of. Roof looks fine to me.
If the check is already cut and there are no strings, I’d say that is a great incentive to a buyer to put an offer in place. That money could go for other things. The buyer is not part of this scam so there is no jeopardy there.
Doesn’t it beg the question…….where the manufacturer of the roof shingles was during this whole process? Most roofs go through hailstorms and do just fine. Is there a secret portal over this home that makes it suffer more damage than the other homes in the neighborhood? Sorry but it sounds like a load of crap to me. The street view shows a new roof, and I don’t see one shingle out of place!
Wow, so much deception!
This is on another topic, but have you heard what is going on with the Carnegie Library? Saw it on the news the other day.
Thanks!
I read a bit about the library but hadn’t heard anything lately. What is sad? They aren’t going to tear it down, are they?
Find someone with a drone and do your own inspection then you can get video for evidence. Get any local TV station with an investigative reporter involved. Call the real estate licensing board to complain about how this property is not being properly represented by the listing agent. You are amazing….keep up the good work!
After a tornado came through our town in 2011, I needed my roof replaced. The insurance company sent someone out and he got on a ladder and inspected it. Wouldn’t authorize to replace gutters (dang). I can’t believe that insurance company would just write a check “like that”. Suspicious!
Ross, it’s possible that the roof is fine, though it’s possible it suffered. It doesn’t look nearly new. Whether or not an insurance company would write a check depends entirely on their adjuster and agent. Whoever buys the place should have the major systems looked at to avoid shock. Your roof is almost all asbestos which would stand up to hail better.
Hi, Travis!
I have two kinds of roofing tiles:
1) Cementitious. Which, yes, would be imperious to hail.
2) Asphalt. Exactly as is on the Plumb mansion.
I know that. I’m saying that you’re not a roofer, neither am I. The roof would need to be inspected by one to determine it’s condition. If the insurance company signs off on a damage claim so be it. Who was the agent? Is the agent connected with Mr. Fowler? It’s possible that there’s corruption, but a bunch of distant people commenting on the condition of a roof is called speculation. I readily admit there’s a lot of corruption in society, but it’s not everywhere. Ross, call a roofer to look. If the roof doesn’t require attention, those funds could go toward something else.
Travis, I’ve walked around the entire house. It’s not speculation when I state that the roof looks in almost new condition. I’ve also climbed up the fire escape for a VERY close look.
Click on the above images. They enlarge. Can you see a single damaged or missing roof shingle?
Eyes are important. They inform.
I have been through the “hail” damage roof replacement scenario a couple times.
Hail damage is difficult to see, it has to be viewed at a low angle to the surface. I had a claims adjuster who was nice enough to school me what he was looking for.
It leaves impact divots in the asphalt which makes the materials a little thinner there and knocks the aggregate loose in that spot which makes the shingle degrade faster.
Insurance companies replace the roof because they don’t want to be on the hook for future collateral damage.
Let’s say you have a 25 year shingle that’s 4 years old and a hail storm comes and beats the heck out of the roof. Your insurance company looks at it and says it’s fine.
3 years later, you get a leak in a place that goes unnoticed until there’s ceiling and wall damage with black mold started.
You call the roof manufacturer to claim on the 25 year warranty and they inform you that it failed prematurely due to hail damage and they do not cover “acts of god”.
Now you go back to the insurance company and instead of paying the $12k for a new roof, it’s $40k to replace a roof, ceiling, walls, flooring, carpeting and mold abatement.
Maybe it will be fine but maybe it won’t. Roofers rarely want to spot repair since there’s high risk of return with little financial reward.
Whenever you have a hailstorm it’s best to let the insurance company at least have a look.
Dear Aaron,
I have been dealing with roofs for four decades. I’m well qualified to make an assessment of roof damage.
I have been up close to the roof of the Plumb mansion.
There’s zero evidence of any damage.
Ross,
Why do you insist on playing the part of a roofer? If someone buys the house and gets an unnecessary check, they can apply those funds to something else.
You continue to look for scandal that may or may not exist. Is the agent tied to Eli? If so, you have a valid concern.
Travis, I’ve spent well over a hundred hours trying to help assure that the Plumb mansion falls into caring hands, and remain an asset to the community.
To this end, it seems vital to challenge the small group of people who claim that the roof is profoundly damaged. This has the potential to scare off potential buyers. Can’t you see that?
And, Travis? I’m not playing the part of a roofer. I am a roofer, with four decades of experience doing roofs on historic houses. I’m well qualified to offer an opinion as to the condition of the Plumb mansion roof!
At last. Plumb Place got the front page write up on the Emporia Gazette it deserved.
http://www.emporiagazette.com/free/article_6b08b4e2-cd43-11ec-b53f-efe1a206bdb3.html
Okay, I’ve been following this ridiculous saga and I desperately want this house.
Ross, you said there were programs that would help with the purchasing or restorations? Can you provide more information about that?