Thanks for causing a fire that burned down my fucking apartment. My life will never be the same. I managed to get out with my life, for which I am thankful, but you fucked up the rest of my life, majorly, and then didn’t have the balls to show your face after the fire. Asshole. Karma is a bitch and I hope it finds you.
—Supremely pissed off former neighbor of yours
This article appears in Jan 28 – Feb 3, 2010.
And from the sounds of it the OB places more importance in karma than in tenant insurance. Not having insurance (maybe $20/month) is stupid.
I know a guy who lived there .
He had only been gone an hour, when the apartment he was in (right next to the one where the fire started) blew the connecting wall down & totally destroyed everything he owned.
He said there had been strange smells…chemical like odors coming from next door & he had complained, but it wasn’t followed up on.
I have a co worker who lives in a house not even 2 yards over who said there were multiple explosions as well.
meth lab??? oh and sorry op there is no karma just shit happening bad/good
paingirl…that’s the word on the street.
As any responsible tenant, I am sure you had Tenant’s Insurance. Problem solved.
Even if you have tenant’s insurance, it’s still pretty traumatizing (I can imagine) to lose all your stuff — especially when it involves stuff that’s irreplaceable.
I have tenant’s insurance: it’s a requirement for tenants of the rental company I rent from, but if there was ever a fire and I wasn’t there, who would get my two kitties out? Who would grab my family photos and mementos? What about my insulin sitting in the fridge and my supply of needles? What about my heart medication? Who would grab my laptop? What about my clean undies or clean clothes, or my favorite sweater my mom knitted me or my grandmother’s wedding set? Even if I was there, I’d probably barely have time to get my cats out let alone pack my shit for even a day of being homeless.
And it’s still probably a HUGE pain in the ass to have to start from scratch, money or no. I know someone who’s apartment burned down recently and she lost everything. You’d be surprised at how reliant we are on certain things until we don’t have them (towels, clean underwear, fresh change of clothes)…plus, tenant’s insurance doesn’t get dispensed IMMEDIATELY after said fire.
I’m really sorry to hear about your situation, OB. I hope everything works out ok for you!
i always hate to see good people suffer at the hands of the rotten ones. i live in the building next door and i heard 2 explosions that night. i’m sorry that the good people living there have to suffer but i certainly won’t miss the loud drunken parties in the summer and the drug deals that went on in my back parking lot. since the place went down it’s been very quiet all around. once again it really pisses me off that honest, decent people always seem to get screwed by some prick who shouldn’t be allowed to share the air we breath.
“didn’t have the balls to show your face after the fire”… are you fucking kidding me? You look at a guy funny in this town and you get stabbed~ Imagine burning down his house!!! Avoiding pissed off Nova Scotians is a bloody life skill. Who can blame him/them/whoever?
Regarding Tenant’s Insurance:
There ARE times when Tenant’s Insurance is an unneccessary expense. You only need it when replacing your possessions would equal financial catastrophe.
Consider a single person, maybe a 2nd-year student, who is 19 years old. They may have a “mimimal” lifestyle in terms of material possessions. They don’t own the large appliances in the apartment, and the furniture may be third-hand (or worse). They have some electronics and basic household supplies and personal effects like books, DVD’s and clothes. Also maybe some “big” items like a bike, bed, dresser, shelves or microwave.
For that person, insurance may cost more than it is worth.
As well, insurance can never “replace” real losses such as pets, personal documents, artworks, photographs, files on your computer, sentimental items, etc. no matter what the dollar amount is that is paid out.
I only started getting Tenant’s Insurance when I started owning stuff worth insuring—once I had moved on from the crummy old cigarette-burned couch that was due for the trash heap anyway, and the mis-matched second hand dishes, etc.
If my very first apartment had been destroyed in a fire, my total loss in terms of replaceable possessions would have been less than 500 bucks— a “big” amount to a student, but still less than to the amount I would have paid out in premiums over the two years I lived there. The trauma would have far outweighed any financial loss.
It is up to the individual to decide how much “risk” they can afford. They are not necessarily being “irresponsible” by not getting Tenant’s Insurance. (However, people with kids should DEFINITELY be properly insured—no question!!!)
Absolutely right, Ruby. Tenant’s Insurance is worthless. If you do have something of significant worth in the apartment, the payout might outweigh the monthly cost. However, good luck trying to get your money. Remember, it’s contents only and the coverage is usually limited to the point that the fire has to start in your apartment, and even then, they’ll only cover the items that are actually damaged by fire, and not by the major cause of damage to personal items: water damage.
However, remember if your negligence causes damage (fire/flood by overflowing tub, etc), you are responsible, or for falls. Your tenant’s insurance’s liability clause will cover, in most cases (read your policy), up to $1,000,000. So it is more than just your possessions. It also covers living expenses while your place is being repaired or until you get a new place.
Bro, living expenses are usually riders on the actual policy itself, and considering that living expenses are the real cost to the insurance company, the riders are usually expensive. You’ve gotta remember too, collecting on the policy is the real problem, your policy could say anything.
I’d like to see anybody replace their entire wardrobe for $500, students included. Silly bitches… tenant insurance is sorta like your car insurance. If you do NOT carry comprehensive insurance who’s going to replace your car when somebody smacks it up? It hardly matters if it’s a $500 or $50,000 car, if your insurance covers only liability you’re SOL and STILL paying through the nose. Your tenants insurance will not only replace your possessions but would have paid for emergency lodging as well… and who cares if person X is charged $20/mo to cover their expensive appliances? Care only when your $20/mo premium makes YOU “whole” after the fire.
To those who do not have Tenants insurance, I hope all your places burn down, myself for the 174 a year I pay, I get $1 million Liability, Sewer Back up Broad coverage (which means excellent contents coverage, and dwelling coverage) Voluntary Medical Payment, as well the insurance company will put me up in a hotel or something similar for 2 weeks while I find somewhere else to live… hmm 17 bucks a month seems very worth it to me. But I also agree with other people here if everything in your place is 2nd or 3rd hand then why bother, and the is my 2 cents.
Having the coverage is much different than actually collecting on the coverage.
I’m hearing some bitterness in your undertone. I’m going to guess that you have had a personal experience : (
No, I’ve worked in the industry and I know how the companies will do anything in their power to delay or deny payouts. I’ve actually seen companies defer payouts to the next financial quarter, just to cut cost. Also, fire is usually not the cause of most damage in a fire, surprisingly. It’s the recovery effort, the water that the fire department soaks all of your goodies in. Most standard Tenant’s insurance does NOT cover water damage, especially the 17.99/mo. coverage that seems to be all the rage. If it does, it’s added on as a rider, and there’s a significant added cost associated with it.
Doubleup is in for a shock when they actually try to make a claim…’hope your shit goes up in flames’ right back at cha.
Let’s see insurance or no insurance when everything you own literally goes up in smoke. Mmmmm. Sounds like no contest.
My landlords require tenant’s insurance to cover any damage you might cause to the building. For example, they claim that if you open your windows in the winter and the pipes freeze and burst, you are financially responsible and either you have to pay for the damage or tenant’s insurance does. It’s probably just a way for them to insure they won’t get stiffed on a major repair bill and have to sue you, which would cost time, money and no guarantee they’d ever actually collect on a judgement against someone.
Insurance, like anything, requires due diligence on the part of the purchaser.
I wish more people would read the fine pirint, and get clear on what their coverage is before they say “oh, it looks pretty cheap, and I need it”.
People wonder why banks and insurance copmpanies make record profits when folks are constantly complaining that they paid for service they never got. It’s usually because they had no idea what they were actually paying for.
3 words: READ YOUR PAPERWORK.
(preferably before signing it and paying).
Insurance, like anything, requires due diligence on the part of the purchaser. But since most people have no clue what to ask about, they figure their salesperson knows best. (Yes, they *do* – they know what’s best for them commission-wise).
I wish more people would read the fine pirint, and get clear on what their coverage is before they say “oh, it looks pretty cheap, and I need it”. (It is really cheap? Does it cover what you require? Do you actually “need” it?)
People wonder why banks and insurance companies make record profits when folks are constantly complaining that they paid for service they never got. It’s usually because they had no idea what they were actually paying for.
3 words: READ YOUR PAPERWORK.
3 more workds: DO SOME RESEARCH.
Oh, and if you’re unmarried, and the only cardholder, you can rethink your overpriced credit card life insurance and balance protectors that “pay off your bill if you lose your job” – neither of those actually cover what you think you’re paying for either…
Odd, sorry about the semi-double post – I went into edit mode, but apparently it posted first…
At least you get to see the evolution of my sad literary process. LOL
Just want to try to clear up a couple misconceptions about tenants coverage;
1. All the stuff listed above as available on riders, actually is normally part of the basic package.
2. Water damage caused in trying to extinguish a fire is considered the same as the fire damage and is ALWAYS covered.
3. Landlords have the legal right to sue you and drive you to bankruptcy if you burn down their building accidentally. Liability insurance is included in ALL tenants package policies and WILL cover the cost to defend you and pay if you are responsible.
4. ALL tenants package policies cover additional living expenses as well
5. Roughly only 25% of tenants currently carry a tenants package policy, which is why our Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army are stretched so thin responding to fires at home. If we could take responsibility for ourselves, then our charitable contributions to these organizations could go to places where it is really needed like Haitii.
6. In the recent South Street Fire, only 2 of 18 $1200/month apartments had a tenants package policy – the rest collected on the charity and goodwill of others – charity that could be better spent for those who really need it.
You sell insurance, right?
I’m surprised the number of people without insurance is so low. Maybe if more people bought insurance the rates would be lower too.
Good point about the charity use as well.
oops…”i’m surprised the number WITH insurance is so low”.
He doesn’t mention on the expediency of the claims process and how much leg work you have to go through…
Or the fact that half the time you don’t have coverage for stuff because you never knew to ask for it…
Also, most people have no idea what the replacement cost of their stuff is going to be, so they’re underinsured. (Again, same as life insurance, if you don’t know what to ask about, or how the policy works, how dfo you know what you *need* for coverage?)
http://www.ibc.ca/en/Home_Insurance/Tenant…
There is a good bit of information on why you should carry Tenants insurance, read and see what I see. Insurance is not a scam, go back in history Insurance has been around since the 1600’s with the Lloyd’s of London.
Aaah, the naivite of youth, and the belief that if sopmething’s been around forever, it must be fantastic…
Some of us work in the industry, and know some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that the average person never gets to see…
Yes, some of it is very good, but like everything else, people should educate themselves before blindly buying what a salesperson says they need…
I did indeed have tenant insurance. I was the only tenant with insurance. Having a fire burn up everything you own is more than money, it is memories lost, the trauma of the explosion in the apartment on the other side of the wall from me, the smoke pouring into my apartment within a few minutes…fires affect you in many ways.
It is interesting how many experts turned out to offer their judgments on a stranger’s life but did not offer their help, support or assistance to any of my fellow neighbors who lost everything they owned, as I did through no fault of their own. It’s not our fault one of our dumbass neighbors stored gasoline in his apartment.
My tenant insurance was cheap, less than $15 a month. I have always carried insurance in whichever home I have lived for more than 20 years. I did get my insurance payout, less than two months after the fire. I got an advance within a few days of the fire. My company was good enough to work with. The bitch of it was, I was under-insured by over $8,000. My advice to anyone is get the insurance, and make sure you have enough. I didn’t realize how much I had until I had to list every little thing on paper and assign a value. It isn’t much compared to how much it costs to set up your life all over again. An already miserable moment would be so much harder if I had no means to replace even the most basic of items.