mellymell: (muderous trolls)
mellymell ([personal profile] mellymell) wrote2011-04-13 10:13 am
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In an effort to clear out some browser tabs and while it's still relevant...

I've been sitting on this story, but I really need to get it out there in the hope that maybe I can help add to the numbers to help this couple finally get payment from their insurance company and move toward closure on a horrific chapter of their lives.

Thanks to bonnie_halfelvn for sharing this story! Here's a letter from the victims to their insurance company and a petition you can sign (as well as the name and phone number of the insurance company if you want to be an extra pain in their asses). Here's a news story detailing the event, the harassment they suffered leading up to it and the nightmare of dealing with the insurance company ever since.

Almost eight months ago, a lesbian couple in Vonore, TN (a bit southwest of Knoxville and on the edge of the Smoky Mountains), were spending their anniversary in Nashville along with their 26-year-old daughter who lives with them. When they returned home, their house had been burned to the ground and the word "QUEERS" had been spray painted across the outside wall of their garage which still stood.

Hate crime, arson, open and shut case, right?

Not in hillbilly country, apparently. Their insurance company, OVER 8 MONTHS LATER has yet to pay out on their claim and presumably the arsonist is still walking the streets. They're currently living in a rental home while they pay both rent and a mortgage on a pile of ash that used to be their home. They've been bent over backwards in the investigation as they're asked to provide a myriad of information (some of which seems very extraneous), none of which they've failed to provide, but they get nothing in return. Wait, I take that back. They got a whopping $610.17 check in response to continued efforts to send the insurance company receipts for all living expenses.

It's not bad enough that their bigot neighbor threatened them constantly and even allegedly poisoned their dog. But they can't even get what they need from the insurance company so they can move on with their lives. This has to be a complete nightmare for them.

This whole thing is disgusting. I'm keeping them in my thoughts that widespread attention to the story might shed some light on a very dark little corner of my home state and bring about some positive resolution.

[identity profile] bonnie-halfelvn.livejournal.com 2011-04-13 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks for spreading the word!

[identity profile] mellymell.livejournal.com 2011-04-18 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm more than happy to! Especially since it's a semi-local story.