Mazur Manor: Insurance Limbo

Jessica Mazur
Aug 12, 2017
4 min read

Updated: Jul 13, 2019

Remember that rain soaked chimney stack?

We knocked it out... at least the part that was sticking through the roof.

Remember the hail damage to the roof?

Well I filed a claim on that to be repaired, and with one month to spare the insurance company mailed me a notice that they were dropping us... regardless of whether we had the roof repaired by their end date. WhAt?!?!

Thus began my massive panic attack.

Up to this point I've just recovered from my very first (and hopefully last), most horrible episode of poison ivy. Life was smooth sailing for about a month before I received that letter. That dreadful letter.

Two new problems:

WE NEED A NEW ROOF
WE NEED HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE... ASAP

Fortunately, I have a lovely cousin, Amanda, who works for an insurance company and was able to educate me on the processes necessary to re-establish homeowners insurance (because without it, our mortgage company may even drop us, too!). UNfortunately, it was a pain in the butt process, and highly stressful. We were in limbo between Traveler's and the next great candidate - each new provider wanted: 1) the roof completed by the start date, 2) the barn wall rebuilt or they simply wouldn't consider us.

[the barn wall is a whole different story, I'll be posting on this soon]

It took a solid month of searching, calling, scheduling and calling again, to establish a deal with a roofing company. Finally we arranged for completion of the project, but we were due for more bad weather (the bane of my existence at this point) and had two weeks to spare before our deadline. I had connected with an insurance broker who arranged a deal with Lititz mutual to insure our home. Conditions: 1) the roof had to be completed by day one - and - 2) the barn had to be excluded from the initial contract, but the wall needed to be completed and included in the policy by the end of November.

WELP - Now we know the next pressing project.

I am not one to write reviews, but let me tell you... Austin was NOT happy with our roofing company. Our rep seemed like the nicest and most genuine guy, and even accommodated our budget. We provided new wood to replace soft/rotten spots that we knew were on the roof, and he cut the cost back significantly.

BUT...

After a day of working, and shingling almost the entire roof, Austin checked the underside through our attic and found that there were still holes in the wood where he had previously stepped or punched through - and they never used any of the wood we provided (except to cover the hole where the chimney used to be). So, as you'd expect, Austin set the situation straight and demanded that they restart... and he stayed home and watched... the... entire... time.

Rain came through and delayed completion, and our rep became increasingly difficult to get a hold of. They finally hauled off their dumpster on the final day of our timeline. I snapped some photos. Sent them to the broker. E-mailed signed copies of the new policy. VOILA!

SAFE!

In the nick of time.

(Oh... and they dinged up all of our perfectly good gutters, but oh well... mister roofer man won't answer my messages - I'll still consider this slide into home as a success)

This experience has truly been a test of my faith. Considering other challenges of paralleling circumstances, I looked down this dark impending tunnel, and I did not see the light at the end. There were many nights of poor sleep, many moments crying and pouring into my prayer journal, many frustrating glares into the sky... waiting for God to rescue me... I learned that despite my panic, I never was able to add a single hour to the day or eliminate a single problem from existing. God was calling me to lean into him and to trust his timing. Though, I admit, I didn't embrace this truth entirely through the struggle, looking back I can see that he was drawing me to seek him in my frustration and to believe in his sovereignty, no matter what the outcome.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:25-34

My face may have healed from the poison ivy rash, but BOY... now I was covered with the worst stress acne of my life. It was hot, hot, hot out... and the only AC we had came from a small window unit next to our bed.

Thank God He delivered us from that chaos. We could be in a much messier, and more expensive, situation than we actually turned out the be in.

Praise Him.