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Give and get support around quitting

pmt
Member

ALMOST HAD AN OH SHIT!

Today is day 46, and starting yesterday after receiving my mail through this mornings *** problems and more problems just moments ago discovering standing water beneath my washer and dryer.   Earlier today there was water on the kitchen floor coming from the direction of the dish washer.   The dish washer gets used maybe once a month,  It was about 2 weeks ago when last used. Which has not been resolved either, but I did turn off the water going to the dishwasher and washing machine.

I know why this is such an issue with me, that dang Nico Devil is messen' with me, these problems are fixable.   One big problem that I received in yesterdays mail was from my homeowners insurance co. telling me I need to remove trees from my property or else.  Many people in rural areas of Northern CA have just flat had their homeowners insurance not renew.   I personally know several in my community that have had this happen.  Also some of my friends that have homes that border the National Forest have received insurance premiums of $7,000/yr. for their $250,000 home.  My policy did increase $400 last year. 

I was given a chance, guidelines to follow in order to be insured.  Trees and vegetation within 100' of a building must be spaced at least 20' apart.  I've been living at this location for 18 years and have removed 31 small pine trees myself, selectively picking them to maintain my seclusion and have hired a tree service to remove 5 that were too big and too close to the house for me to even think about falling.   So, back to the required guidelines, this morning with boyfriend by my side, 100' tape and 2 can of spray paint in hand we began.  When done we had marked 52 trees that required removing.  So sad, not all of these trees are a threat, but I have to have insurance!   I believe with boy friends help we will be able to fall 'and clean up most of the trees on he back side of the property,  25 or so the rest will be hired out.  Because of my house location and fencing the trees will need to be climbed and taken down in sections.  I could be looking at a $10,000 +- price tag.  Dang!  I typed "Dang instead of * * * * , cuz I was able to come here and unload on you folks!  Thank you!   What timing, I do believe I am in KNOW MANS LAND!!!   I came so close to heading up to the gas station for a pack. I was in tears I'd had it!!!   Ralph said you've done so well, don't go, get on the computer with your group.   I'm not even gonna proof read this, it's going out to you as is>  Just being here doing this, knowing someone is out there has gotten me over the big challenge I think.  Now I'll just get though this last bit of tears and I'll pick up my pieces and carry on!  THANK YOU EX FRIENDS!!

pmt

29 Replies
pmt
Member

Thanks Jonimarie!  Oh yes, he is a keeper 🙂

indingrl
Member

pmt
Member

GREAT HUG, thank you!!

maryfreecig
Member

Congratulations on your 46 days of smobriety.

Have you thought about talking to a lawyer about your options? Does the Ins. company offer a different policy that would allow you to keep some or all of the trees? Can you go to a different company that would not require? Can some of the trees be tethered to fall away from the house? Can a tree expert offer insight as to why the ins company may be wrong thus supplying you with an argument to present to the insurance company? WIll the insurance company allow you to cut the trees over a period of three years to reduce the financial burden to you at this time?

Maybe I'm just addicted to asking questions!!!

Anyway thanks for sharing!

pmt
Member

Well, CALFIRE has set up the guide lines for us here in CA.  I reviewed those guidelines and what my insurance company is requesting is following those instructions.  About every other year I would do some thinning (small trees 40' or less) and i had a company come in and take out 3 huge pines about 6 years ago.  They were merchantable timber and I did all the cleanup so my out of pocket cost was only $500 and the logs went to the local lumber mill.  About 20 of these trees could go to the mill except they will have to be cut in short lengths and fell that way cuz of buildings and fencing.  These lengths will not be acceptable at the mill  😞    Any way I'll shorten up my story, all your questions are great and 10 years ago they would have helped.  I have applied to Plumas County Fire Safe Council for defensible space programs  1. Senior Assistance it's a shared cost program  2.  Community Fuel Reduction which is a grant with cost-share.  I've been told they are currently out of funding.  I've also contacted 2 tree company's to come and give me a quote and time frame.   I know our tree company's in No. CA have been extremely busy.   I will reply to my insurance company after I get some feed back and let them know I am working my way to compliance  and see what kind of time frame they will allow me.  I've accepted the responsibility that this needs to be done, for my safety and my neighbors as well.  Still breaks my heart to have to loose so many 😞

pmt  49  DOF  🙂

SuzyQ411
Member

I am so so sorry about all of this pmt‌ and admire your persistence in seeing it through by researching all options. You've done all you can, looks like. Hope you can rest with that. Praying help for you will come.

0 Kudos
maryfreecig
Member

Thanks for the education. I live in NH and it is essentially a wetland. I hear you about losing the trees. Congrats on keeping your smobriety on track.

Troutnut1
Member

Unless we are very careless, smoking won’t make trees go away, or get us new dishwashers 🙂

In 1998 we did what you are doing now. We had gone to a wildfire seminar put on by the forest service and we realized our home would be in danger. We cut some ourselves, talked a friend into helping, end eventually got a logging company to pay us $300 to remove $5,000 worth of trees. But we knew they needed to be gone. Our insurance didn’t care back then. But we did. It was a little visually shocking for a few years but we gradually got used to it. We “limbed up” the trees we kept and they did better. Then came the famous Montana wildfire of August 6, 2001. We only got to keep our log home, and many of the remaining trees because of all the work we had done in 1998. We went three weeks without power or services in unbelievable smoke. But we survived when neighbors didn’t. I had just quit smoking 6 months before that happened, but it was sure luck I quit. I am still paying for all the damage that wildfire smoke, and thirty + years of smoking did to me. 

Now many insurance companies have wised up. If they don’t make change happen, they have to charge extra premiums for those with risky properties. The only other choice is to pass the cost of these added risks onto innocent policyholders who don’t have these extra risks. 

Even after all the properties around here had burned, insurance companies still had to raise rates to pay their losses. We ended up going with a huge deductible to keep our insurance affordable. We still love living here, but it certainly looks WAY different after a major forest fire roared through. I will take many of my lifetimes to come back the way it was.

Your friend in Montana

Troutnut1-dennis

YoungAtHeart
Member

I cannot IMAGINE going through what you did.  I am happy you and yours survived it - even nowwithout the trees and greenery we all so love!

Good to see you!

Nancy

pmt
Member

Yep, you were wise!!  Thank you for taking the time to write your story for me.  I'm pushing forward trying to think with my brain and not my heart.

Love Montana.  Kalispell is one of my favorites spots I got to visit.

pmt