[adamz]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

I bought a house with a 3 year old roof in 1990. The shingles failed 2 years later. Second owners weren't covered. No one helped. I was stuck having to replace a 5 year old roof that failed through no fault of my own. This was not long after getting laid off, also through no fault of my own.

Life does suck sometimes.....

And yes, I do feel for those who have "life sucks" moments because I sure know how they feel. Yet I'd prefer not to have to pay into other peoples problems as I have my own to deal with. (we can get into the proposed 26% Anthem increase, which is going to make my payment unaffordable, also through no fault of my own). I am paying into enough of other peoples issues, let's not add another one.

A roof is not in the same league as a foundation. A roof costs 10K. You could get a line of credit, or take out a loan and get it fixed. A foundation costs 200K. Home insurers won't cover it. And, because your house is now WORTHLESS you can't even get a loan, because you HAVE NOTHING.

You're in favor of good people's bad luck utterly ruining them? Well, I think the attitude sucks. What's the point of having a society if members aren't going to help each other.

[adamz]

Originally Posted by hartford_renter

I think the liberal view is antithetical to a functioning society. Look at the state of CT as an example.

The politicians promise free gifts in exchange for votes. The politicians need to find this money from somewhere so they take it from the rich to give to the needy. They make up a story that this all has to do with fairness and if you disagree your are racists. Eventually the gifts run out and the state goes bankrupt.

The free gifts don't end up helping anyway and just create dependence. Now we have more people in poverty due to sky high out of wedlock births. This is the country created by Obama & Hillary

Please feel free to give counterexamples.

None of what you write is relevant. The problem with these foundations isn't a "liberal" or "conservative" issue. It's about what the response should be when an unforseeable and unpreventable catastrophe threatens to ruin people's lives. If we won't help each other, what's the point of society?

[nico7]

Personally, I would like to see the problem solved with a creative architectural / engineering innovation. There are other options -- and more affordable ones -- for supporting a structure and protecting basement utility functions than an underground concrete box. The state could mandate changes to building code that would allow for efficient solutions.

... Drill through the bottom of the foundation, add new footings, new supports. Throw in a system that absorbs vibration like mag-lev, springs, or compressed air/hydraulics. You can adjust the house if it goes out of plumb... even better than a foundation without the absurdity of pouring a new one under an existing structure. Waterproofing could be achieved by installing a membrane or other barrier around the existing foundation.

I'm in agreement that the state should work with insurers to provide at least partial funding to assist homeowners with this problem.

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by adamz

A roof is not in the same league as a foundation. A roof costs 10K. You could get a line of credit, or take out a loan and get it fixed. A foundation costs 200K. Home insurers won't cover it. And, because your house is now WORTHLESS you can't even get a loan, because you HAVE NOTHING.

You're in favor of good people's bad luck utterly ruining them? Well, I think the attitude sucks. What's the point of having a society if members aren't going to help each other.

I was laid off 6 months after buying the house. The market crashed at the same time, so selling was out of the question. Line of credits and loans were out of the question. I didn't have full time work for 3 years. I managed to figure it out though, though I was impacted financially for many years.

Maybe you haven't seen the impact a bad roof can have on a house? If left alone for long enough, eventually all that will be left is the foundation.

Your numbers are a little skewed as well (high).

Personally I think insurance should cover it. If you read the prior thread (if these haven't been merged yet), insurers quietly changed the policies so the foundations weren't covered.

You don't see a problem with that, but you see a problem with those of us who do not want to pay to "help each other"? You sound like an old boss who always seemed to have a charity of the week she wanted us to embrace. Thanks, but I'll pick who I donate my time and money to.

[adamz]

Originally Posted by WouldLoveTo

I was laid off 6 months after buying the house. The market crashed at the same time, so selling was out of the question. Line of credits and loans were out of the question. I didn't have full time work for 3 years. I managed to figure it out though, though I was impacted financially for many years.

Maybe you haven't seen the impact a bad roof can have on a house? If left alone for long enough, eventually all that will be left is the foundation.

Your numbers are a little skewed as well (high).

Personally I think insurance should cover it. If you read the prior thread (if these haven't been merged yet), insurers quietly changed the policies so the foundations weren't covered.

You don't see a problem with that, but you see a problem with those of us who do not want to pay to "help each other"? You sound like an old boss who always seemed to have a charity of the week she wanted us to embrace. Thanks, but I'll pick who I donate my time and money to.

Of course I see a problem with the policies being changed. I think step one is trying to get insurers to cover this. Of course, you'll still end up paying for that, because they'll have to raise all our rates to make up the loss.

I love you "I'll pick who I donate to" types. If the state government decides to step in, then your representatives have picked for you. If you don't like it, get someone else elected or move someplace where citizens have so little compassion that they're willing to let people be ruined. There's lots of places like that, mostly in the south and west.

[hartford_renter]

Originally Posted by adamz

None of what you write is relevant. The problem with these foundations isn't a "liberal" or "conservative" issue. It's about what the response should be when an unforseeable and unpreventable catastrophe threatens to ruin people's lives. If we won't help each other, what's the point of society?

You are dead wrong. The point of society isn't to guarantee success to everyone. The point of society is to be a place where like minded individuals can agree on a set of laws and provide protection for the group.

You can't force people to give up their own property because you lost. There are no guarantees in life and what you call a bail out I call stealing. It isn't right. Societies function shouldn't be deciding winners and losers

[WouldLoveTo]

Originally Posted by adamz

Of course I see a problem with the policies being changed. I think step one is trying to get insurers to cover this. Of course, you'll still end up paying for that, because they'll have to raise all our rates to make up the loss.

I love you "I'll pick who I donate to" types. If the state government decides to step in, then your representatives have picked for you. If you don't like it, get someone else elected or move someplace where citizens have so little compassion that they're willing to let people be ruined. There's lots of places like that, mostly in the south and west.

Wow, for a minute there I lost my mind and forgot I had a right to donate my hard earned money to the causes I believe in.

I sure felt ruined when I had to replace a roof on my own because I was a second owner and the warranties didn't cover second owners. It really wasn't fair, since it was a 30 year roof that failed in in less than 5 - and failed quite spectacularly too.

So I guess I'm a little confused as to why you feel citizens now have to bail this set of people? Haven't we spent enough bailing out businesses? People with no insurance? The list goes on and on. It has to end somewhere.

Start a GoFundMe page if you need the money for your foundation.

Hartford_renter, consider this another rep!

[Zippyman]

Originally Posted by adamz

A roof is not in the same league as a foundation. A roof costs 10K. You could get a line of credit, or take out a loan and get it fixed. A foundation costs 200K. Home insurers won't cover it. And, because your house is now WORTHLESS you can't even get a loan, because you HAVE NOTHING.

You're in favor of good people's bad luck utterly ruining them? Well, I think the attitude sucks. What's the point of having a society if members aren't going to help each other.

A home with a damaged foundation isn't "worthless" - ever seen a house get moved? Not a big deal, and not $200k to do by a long shot. If you're not actually "moving" the home, you support the structure with "cribbing", knock down the old & install the new.. Seems like every other house in some areas of Texas has had "piers" put in to support the foundation... Do we all get to subsidize those repairs too? And why should someone who lives in a $30k home have to kick in towards someone who "needs" a $200k foundation repair? My old house had a wet basement, do I get a check? Some things are unfortunate & unpredictable..

[JayCT]

$200,000 to replace a foundation sounds very high. Must be a big house. Jay

[Sibay]

This doesn't just affect the individual homeowner, it will affect their neighbors as well.
If people can't afford to fix the problem the foundations will buckle and the houses won't be safe to live in. Family abandons the house...now you live next door to an abandoned piece of property that's falling over. Good luck selling YOUR house if this happens...and if there's more than one house in your neighborhood with this problem...don't plan on selling your home anytime soon.

Home owners with this problem will have their property taxes lowered. One house, two houses, no big deal...as the number goes up to hundreds of houses, the towns are going to lose tax revenue and guess who's going to make up the difference? Everyone else in town.