Q. A few days ago me and my girlfriend had small kitchen fire. Not too much was burned but everything is covered in soot from the smoke, even our brand new couch we just got. My girlfriend is devistated. And I just got the esimate for the restoration. It's $2,078.76. And nothing can get fixed till I pay everything in full. I work as a waiter and pay my way through college. We barely make rent as it is and the longer we wait the more everything gets permanently damaged. So I'm asking for help from anyone of any kind to help me get enough to pay for this. I know it's a lot to ask a stranger, but at this point I have no one else. I'm just hoping that someone has it in their heart to help me out. I would greatly appreciate anything at this point. If could do this myself I would. Back I can't. I'll stop my sob story here now. Thank you to anyone who even reads this. That alone means the world to me and my girlfriend.

A.

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Q. Had a house fire, hired a restoration company to clean and repair fire, smoke and water damage. Who is supposed to the the buliding permits?

A. The permits are the responsibility of the contractor. They have to be licensed to do the work and they are responsible for furnishing the details of the work as well as doing the work to code. Period

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Q. I recently learned from the neighbors that days before I moved in that a fire/smoke restoration team was brought in to clean up water damage. This information was not disclosed at closing. What are my options? I want the carpet replaced and a letter stating that the seller will be responsible for any future mold/mildew damage for the next ten years. This was a brand new home when I moved in.

A. You need to confirm the accuracy of the neighbor's story and validate they aren't just running off at the mouth. Probe the neighbor to find out the name of the team that performed the restoration - if so, contact the team and confirm with them that they actually performed work in the house. If possible request something in writing. Don't tell them you believe you've been deceived - keep it generic such as you're trying to make a file of the history of the house repairs in case you need it in the future. If you tell them you might sue the seller the restoration team might be leary of helping for fear of becoming locked into a legal battle. In Texas the consumer is protected under The Deceptive Trade Practices Act - I'm sure there's one in your area as well. If the seller intentionally withheld this information you can file suit deeming false, misleading or a deceptive sale and sue for damages. When you sue you are entitled to amounts up to three times the damage. Advise the realtor that represented you of your new information and have them contact the selling realtor to see if a suitable agreement can be reached. If the seller refuses to budge, express your desire to pursue legal action. At this point if it comes to this you must place in writing a notice to the seller telling them your findings and that you believe they have deceived you under the Deceptive Trade Act. Let the seller know in writing if they don't agree to your terms or make suitable amends you will sue and be entitled to damages of up to three times the amount. Typically once you write a letter expressing your intent to sue, deceptive sellers will try to make amends.

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Q. My sister painted me an abstract painting using acryllic paint on canvas. It was involved in a fire almost three years ago, and I am looking to have it repaired. The only damage to it is smoke damage. I can barley see the painting below the soot that is now covering it. I took it to a restoration gallery and they are asking close to a thousand dollars to repair it, and I want to know if there is a cheaper method I could try at home.

A. Interesting question. NASA has actually created a document on this http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/reports/1998/TM-1998-208506.pdf I think you may be stuck with the professional. Household cleaners may ruin the painting. Good Luck

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Q. I had a fire in one of my rental units and now have some smoke damage on the drywall throughout most of the house. It is just a thin film of black and in some spots wipes off. Some spots are totally black. Can a painting or fire restoration type professional tell me how to cover and seal this ?? The smell is minimal but I worry about the black bleeding through. Sould I clean then paint ??

A. Wash down walls with sugar soap. Lightlly sand if required and wash again. Make sure its dry and used an oil based sealer undercoat. Then you can paint on top with a few coats of acrylic top coat.If there is an odor problem or seepage problem then use an oil based top coat. A bit harder and messier to apply though. Paul

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Q. I have several years in the field of water and fire restoration services. I know how thing are done and know what the affects are from damage to homes and comercial buldings. I have seen how Mold, water, fire and smoke does. I could provide benificail info and experience.

A. Most companies do require a 4 year degree. They don't care what it's in but you have to have it. However, for some positions they will allow experience instead of a college degree. For example, many auto physical damage appraisers were former body shop managers and owners. If you have experience in restoration, you probably have contacts in the insurance industry. Reach out to those contacts and see what they can tell you. You may also want to check with independent adjusting companies or companies that focus on "storm trooping". They may not be as strict on the college degree requirement. Good Luck.

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Q. Okay, I live in an apartment complex in a small college town in Missisippi. About a month ago my friend started a small kitchen fire that ruined my oven and microwave and caused significant smoke damage. I have no renters insurance but none of my property was damaged. The apartment complex is trying to charge us close to nine thousand dollars. six thousand of that being "fire restoration". I know that renters insurance covers property but aren't all landlords required to have insurance that covers the structure? They claim that they don't have insurance for the building and that we have to pay. Is this true? any help would be greatly appreciated and specific laws, regulations, etc would be as well. Thanks.

A. Yes, you will have to pay. Even if the apartment complex DID have insurance coverage, that insurer will pay for the damages and subsequently will sue you to recover what it paid out. Any time a tenant (or tenant's friend, etc.) is the cause of such damage (intentional or accidental), the tenant can be held financially liable for the loss. NOW do you understand why renter's insurance is so heavily recommended? A few years ago, I added a clause to my leases specifically explaining the nature of this system, and strongly recommending renter's insurance. Now NONE of my tenants can try to claim ignorance of the system.

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Q. We recently had a problem with smoke damage (my first experience ever). My husband feel asleep while making soup stock. I came home, lucky to find him alive. The smoke alarms went off, but the house was engulfed with smoke. The pot was totally black. The insurance company doesn't think my cabinets need replaced. I do. There are stains underneath the cabinet nearest to the stove. Do I have to accept their "we'll continue to clean them" policy? Can I fire the restoration company after they have been here a mere 4 days out of 15 days? They show up when they want to. What are my rights? My cabinet wasn't like this before. Thanks.

A. Unless the cabinets are charred up - they smoke damage should be able to be cleaned and the cabinets may be repainted. If some of the cabinets are damaged/charred - the insurance company will replace only those - not all of them. Most policies say that the insurance company does not owe you an exact decorative match. You can fire the restoration company if you want to. You hired them. But they will have to be paid for the work that they did. Now - if you want the cabinet replaced and the insurance company does not believe they need that - you can take the insurance money and combine it with your own to upgrade your cabinets. Many homeowners use an opportunity like this to make the changes they always wanted. The labor rates are frequently the same so usually you just end up paying for the difference in the materials. Keep in mind- the insurance company does not pay for upgrades. So - if you had sheet vinyl on the kitchen floor - you can combine your own money to what the insurance company paid and go back with tile. If you are not happy with the performance of this restoration company -call the adjuster. He/She will either get all over that company or will pull them from the job and send another. If the restoration companies performance is that bad -the adjuster needs to know about it. There are a lot of restoration companies out there. All it takes is one complaint and I'll not use that company again - ever. They stand to lose a lot of money by not performing well. There are just too many other restoration companies out there who are dying to get a chance to work on a claim for me. I (and you) don't have to accept substandard work. So - let your adjuster know about the concerns with the restoration company. Sometimes all it takes is an adjuster getting on the phone and ripping the owner of the company a new one to turn things around. Or - they'll put someone else on the job.

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