Contractors Leave Roseland Family With Partially Demolished Home And No Answers
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A family in Roseland called on their insurance company to repair storm damage, but instead, contractors gutted the house. Light fixtures were left dangling and wires left exposed.
The question remains as to why Hartford Insurance stopped work on the house in the first place, and when they plan to fix it.
"The sooner they do this, the better everyone will be," said Melvena Strong, the homeowner.
The home has been in Melvena and Roosevelt's family for five decades. They say the porch is their favorite place to sit these days because they don't really have anywhere else to go.
Melvena Roosevelt Strong said, "It makes you depressed because you only have like two rooms to move to."
A bad storm caused severe water damage in June. Letters from Hartford, their homeowner's insurance, promised to assign a contractor to complete repairs on the property.
"They took out the frames, floor, and ceilings on all three levels of the home," Tia Gray, the homeowner's daughter, explained.
"Five bedrooms, a full basement is stripped to the 2 by 4's. They've only come to tear my house down," said Strong. The reason the contractors stopped fixing the home remains unknown.
"We were reaching out to them, weeks after weeks after weeks. What's going on?" Gray continues to question.
24-hours after CBS 2's first call to Hartford, they sent the family an email saying they are issuing them a $12,000 check for the damage. They've sent other small checks, as well, which the family says they have not cashed.
The family is still trying to adjust to not having any closets or any place to put their clothes and belongings.
"This is the unit my uncle lives in. We had to move his bed into the kitchen," Gray said.
"They tore it down, but no one has put anything back. I want my house put back to the way it was," said Strong.
After CBS 2 called, Hartford Insurance told the family they are sending a contractor to take a look at the house on Monday. There is still no guarantee or timetable as to when the repairs will be completed.
