"Claim for Loss of Rental Income"

I sent off my email to my adjuster today, with a copy of my lease agreement and copies of all my receipts of rental payment, and this argument attached:

Hi ------,

Information as requested attached below.

I lost out on rent from this lease agreement, as well as from the fact that my current tenant was happy and wanted to stay another year if possible, and if not her, I have been unable to advertise/rent to anyone while this has been going on for so long. Not to mention the months of construction time it will take to get it back to a rentable state. This should have not taken as long as it did. I should not have had to wait over a month for ------ to come back to my property to assess the damage they had missed to begin with, I should not have had to wait so long to have the further tear out done, I should not have had to wait weeks for ------ to come back out to just take measurements again and then take another month to do a quote. The point we are at now should have been in September, ready for me to have construction done before winter set in and have it ready to rent for the new year and new school year. I have lost out on rent from July to currently December ( = $4,800) and will continue to lose out for at least the next 3 months if construction is handled on time ( = $8,000) and by April finding a renter will be difficult, potentially making me wait until August. An entire year's worth of rental income lost ( = $9,600).

Thank You ------ for taking this forward. 

Still waiting for approval of the quote sent in and now to wait on this decision...

"Happy Birthday Jess, Love Climate Change Central"

Aww....

You shouldn't have...

Okay! Yes, you should have!!!!!

Momma Like....

"Insurance Tales"

So the Insurance Company's preferred vender has finished their quote last week. 4 weeks from when they came out to do measurements. 3 weeks from when they said it should be done. 2 weeks from when I had expected it to be done.

About $10 000 less than my contractor's quote. I regret not knowing a contractor before all this started. I would have gone with my own from the beginning. Frustrating that they requested a second quote from their preferred vender. Wonder if they'll let me get another quote from another company? Probably won't matter, as they'll go with the cheapest quote anyway. Conflict of Interest don't you think? How is this fair? Too many people in between to 'help" navigate through the Insurance Tango. People in between to keep you away from the real decision makers.

Anyway, I approved my adjuster to take the quote forward to the insurance company for approval. Now to wait a few weeks until they okay it. They better!

I also asked about the rental income I have lost over the many months that this has been going on, a loss of about $5000. Well, a new adventure begins. Sending off the copy of my lease agreement and proof of payment. Fingers crossed for some compensation. Better to ask than to not.

9 months later and getting close to somewhere...not close to a finished basement however.

"Momma's Away"

So, my mother is off in India visiting all our extended family. It has been 30 years since she last visited. Last time she was there I was in her womb, and my sister was with her, age 7.

Good for you Mom!

She has wanted to return to visit for years now, and things haven't worked out the way they were initially planned, but she made it happen. Out on her own (of course until family met her at the airport). 

I am so jealous. And I so would have taken her up on her offer to go with her, if it wasn't for the permanent position I now hold. Not enough vacation time for sure. 3 months she is gone for. She left November 16th and should be back before V-Day.

What a trip that would be. To go to India and meet family I have never met. To get the inside scoop. Heck, even to just go to India.

Internet access isn't the best out there for mom, so I hope she sees this post, as communication has been relegated to quick messages on facebook. Go Figure!

So in hopes of that, I say:

Mom,

I hope all is going well, that you are having an amazing time. I can't wait to hear your stories and see your pictures and videos taken. I hope the family album we made has worked out well for all the Aunties, Uncles, and cousins.

And please do not bring me back a husband, just sandalwood, so my nostrils will be greeted by the wondrous smell whenever I open my linen closet.

I hope the immense heat is treating you well. Happy Christmas, New Year's, and I shall miss the tradition of your angel food cake on my Birthday. But I shall survive, you deserve your trip!

Take care.

Love you,
Jess

Looks like she picked the best time of the year to go there: Weather in India: When is the best time to travel?


iPhone weather shows Highs of 26 - 32 degrees Celsius and Lows of 14 - 23 degrees depending on where she is. Not too shabby I say!


2 more months to go...
XOXO

"CMHC refund on your premium!"

I love coming across things that give me free money for what I am already doing...

Check out this link if you are planning on buying a new energy efficient home or have bought a home and are making it more energy efficient:

http://www.cmhc.ca/en/co/moloin/moloin_008.cfm#reno

I heart Canada!

"Government Rebates"

A few days ago, I put in my claims for the Provincial rebates on my new furnace and new tankless water heater. I should be due back $750 from the Provincial Government. Yay!

I would have been entitled to more, at least $800 more from the Federal Government, except my install date was exactly one month before they reinstated their rebate program. One month. Argh!

I was told that the Feds were going to restart it, but in May, no one had any clear ideas. I did do my Pre Energy Evaluation, and got the $100 rebate for that from the Province. Once I do my Post Energy Evaluation, I'll get another $100 from the Province, and the rebates for insulation, etc offered, as well as the same from the Feds plus their rebate for the Pre and Post Evaluations. 

It all has to be done before the March 2012 deadline. This basement thing sure threw a wrench in that. I've gone backwards in the insulation parade. A major rebate winner if I had my basement back to normal. The time line doesn't look so forgiving.

On the bright side, I'm looking at at least another $300 back, for a lovely total of about $1000 back. Would have been nice to have that extra $800 tacked on. I may have to do some calling, since the furnace and water heater were paid for after the reinstated rebate program started.

Check out the links to the Provincial and Federal rebate programs:
www.climatechangecentral.com
www.nrcan.gc.ca

"Ah, The Joys of Budgeting"

Back in April, I made myself a little document with my income from all sources vs. all my expenses, except for food, gas, and clothing (all of which I have cut back on). Sigh, the pain of not having new clothes, or shoes!

Over the year, new expenses have cropped up and increases in some bills, and decreases in income (Bye-Bye Renters). So tonight, I revamped my document to include all of the above changes, and I am glad to say I have about $400 a month left for said cut back items. 

Now, that is only if I do not charge anything to my credit cards ever! Ha! Good thing I pay them off every month, and yes it does count to use my line of credit to do so, because it's a way lower interest rate.

I have to get my basement back in swing, or at least the apartment garage I have floating around my mind right now. Renter, I need you, so I can buy clothes again.

The joys of home owning. A year and a half ago, I would have had $2,300 a month left to spend at will, and SAVE. Oh, Saving, how I miss thee. And travel. Oh travel, I will still have you. I will find a way.

Equity. They say it's a good thing. It's times like these a second income would kick ass. Odds are the mortgage would be around longer than the person with the second income. I prefer a renter. 


Now to get a rentable place ready....


Donations in the form of skilled labour, cash, and empty bottles accepted to Jessica's House Fund.

"What was once My Basement..."

Before:

Claim made at the end of March.

First tear out soon after.

Foundation repair done at beginning of July.

Moisture still there 2 months later. Further tear out requested as original place of leak (under the sub-floor of closet to next room) was not torn out as agreed upon by myself and original adjuster (who does not work there anymore...interesting).

One month, no word from Insurance Company's contractor of choice to come back and assess.

Got independent contractor's opinion with new adjuster present and approval for further tear out needed and quote sent in same week. Thank You Time Line. www.timelineconstruction.ca

Insurance Company wants second quote from preferred vender. Further tear out still required.

Last days of October, further tear out completed in 2 days, by subcontractor of Insurance Company's preferred vender.

Day 1:

 

Found mouldy insulation and an old gas line hidden in the wall. Not secured so well and rusty, hmmm....

Yup, that sure is the walls built on top of the floor. And yup, that is a new wall built in front of the old rotting one. And when I say rotting, I mean I touched it and it disintegrated. 

Day 2: 

Bye bye original hardwood in both bedrooms and living room. Hello floating walls, now that rotting floor has been removed. Hello huge crack in my foundation wall, finally uncovered.

Hello efflorescence, evidence of water damage and left behind salt slowly flaking away layers of my concrete wall making it less and less structurally sound. 

Inside the closet. Left side white, right side not so much....

Read me: 

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/building-science/efflorescence-water-damage

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/green-basics/stormwater-management

http://homebuying.about.com/od/homeshopping/qt/Wetbasement.htm

How many years has this been going on? I'm guessing at least 6 years, but more like over a decade. Damn it people, if you own a house take care of it, and know what that means. Making it pretty on the inside and sparkly on the outside means nothing if you ignore what keeps it functioning. Mine now to make it right. 

November 14, Insurance Company's preferred vender comes by to get measurements again to do up quote to send to adjuster.

Quote to be done this week. Supposed to be.

Comparison of quotes needed and decision of Insurance Company to hopefully come soon. Experience tells me otherwise.

9 months so far. Too bad claim has to be taken care of within 12 months of claim date. 3 months left. Do they expect construction to be done within that time period? 'Cause it's so not going to happen.

Let the work I had done outside (weeping tile, sump pump, waterproofing, new eavestroughs, new downspouts, and proper grade) prevent any further water damage and further cracking of foundation wall.

The tale continues...

"A Year of Fixing Up"

My House, my house, my house. So far a re-donk-ulous amount of work done and money owed...

1. First project: My photo wall. Photos from most of the travels I have done from 2006 to 2008. My trip in 2009 excluded as per 'other' person on that trip, and I have never been given the photos from it. Well and good though. My first attempt at making this house mine.

Thanks Walmart for your website photo upload 
for print pickup later. 
http://www.walmartphotocentre.ca/album/default.aspx

Thanks Ikea and Urban Barn for your sweet photo frames.

2. Second Project: My faux-fireplace. It needed a touch of Jess. It was white before. Bland. Not me at all.

3. My Roof: It had old, old, old, old asphalt shingles on it that my inspector told me would only last one more year. 

Of course I wanted it done right, environmentally friendly, and so I wouldn't have to bother with it again in 25 years. Metal shakes. Metal facia and soffits in the original trim color. No painting for me!

New eavestroughs to match the trim and downspouts to match the house colour, because lets face it, the old white one were hideous, non-functional, full of rotten leaves and a bird's nest, and waterfalling water continuously over the edge of the eaves, down onto my already poor grade. Downspouts were relocated to more practical spots, so my front gate wasn't knocking it off all the time and my cedar tree in the back can now have water directed towards it.

4. Attic insulation: Got blown in done to bring the R20 up to an R50. Ah ye-yeah yeah!


5. Basement Windows: All windows replaced with energy efficient ones. Bye-bye metal frames that were so easy to break into.

6. New Furnace and Tankless Water: So old that the hot water tank was passing rust through and staining my bathtub. So again with energy efficiency in mind and creating more space, the tankless water tank option was a no brainer. 

Ick!

However, now that I have it, I have realized a tankless with a tiny tank attached is better, since it takes some time for the water to be heated up given the distance water has to travel in the pipes and if you are just washing your hands or face, you don't want to run the tap forever defeating the purpose of energy and water savings. I have gotten used to washing my face in cool water. No biggie.

My Furnace is awesome, heat kicks in so fast and I can preset temperatures so I'm not wasting heat or energy. Love. It also has a vent so that I can have the fan running in summer, so I constantly have fresh air circulating and it actually cools too, so no need for A/C. But my plaster walls help with that too.

Points 3, 4, 5 and 6: Thank you Great Canadian 
and Especially to Chip.

Great Canadian Roofing and Exteriors | Proudly Serving Alberta and Saskatchewan | Roofing | Insulation | Siding | Eavestroughing | Heating & A/C | Windows and Doors | Insurance Claims | Thermal Imaging | Experienced, Professional, and Trusted

7. My Foundation: Given the crack in the concrete found in the basement and the leak over winter's constant freeze and thaw, excavation all the way around the house, patching cracks, water proofing membrane, R10 insulation with added drainage feature, sump pump installed, weeping tile installed with vertical weeping tile at each window, with window wells installed, and cedars saved, was all done in one fell swoop. Though, I do need to give them a call about bringing in more rocks for drainage in my window wells.

 

Thank You K. Kuypers.
http://kkuypersconstruction.com/

8. My Grade: We needed to raise the grade in the front yard and sides at least 2-3 feet. Which is was it must have at least sunk since it was built in 1946. The sinking cracked the concrete path to the house, and the prior owners had done a new concrete sidewalk to the back, but too bad it was below grade, effectively causing a trap for water to lay stagnant with no where to go but down the side of the house to the footings.

Front yard complete, grade on sides complete, still waiting on neighbour for the fence and therefore my sidewalk to be completed. He said in September. It's October. I have given up. Looks like we'll have to wait until spring.

Managed to reuse broken concrete, salvaged rocks and stepping stones already out front and in back, and transplanted the plants my yard already had. I can't wait until spring! Though Fall looks pretty good on my yard too.

Thank you Marc Dickner of 'One Guy & A Shovel'

marcdickner@gmail.com

9. My Basement: Since I have been dealing with the insurance company, as the damage from water leakage was covered under my policy, I am still waiting on approval for quoted repair. Insurance company wants their company of choice to do an estimate, the same company that didn't respond or come back out to tear out more after it was approved and agreed with them to do, hence why I brought in my own company. 

Looks like my entire floor of my basement and subfloor, has to be torn out, and put back, also meaning bottom 4 ft of all walls has to be done, so really the full wall as I want to add insulation, etc. So I might as well also do my basement bathroom, which I wanted to tear apart, make bigger and way, way, way nicer.


But that means, breaking concrete, moving plumbing, moving floor drain, moving water meter, and adding wall insulation. Oi!


I sent another email to my adjuster, out of frustration from, yet again, not hearing from their company of choice after calling and emailing, that things need to move forward now. We shall see.

10. My Upstairs Bathroom: So since my downstairs bathroom needs to be gutted, might as well do my upstairs bathroom, because the cast iron drain of my tub is so long, it dips quite a bit into the downstairs bathroom ceiling. My upstairs bathroom is pretty much completed, sans towel bars, and the downstairs bathroom still awaits its turn.

Shiny!

Thank you Time Line Construction. Especially to Paul and Leo.

www.timelineconstruction.ca

And that brings us pretty much up to date and in debt the first time ever! It is very indicative of me. If I'm going to do it, I jump straight in, 150%. All in or no point to be in at all, right? Hence my coworkers attempt at helping me out...

Thanks Kim and John