We often receive phone calls from people who did not have a personal property inventory.
This is a document that lists your belongings in case you need to file an insurance claim or police report.
Here is a recap of one on of these calls.
"Hi.
I am needing help and don't know where to go.
" This is how a phone conversation started recently.
Sue (not her real name), from southern Indiana, was the victim of a house fire.
Their house is gone - GONE - nothing but a pile of ashes! They didn't have an inventory of their belongings and now she's having a very difficult time completing her insurance claim.
"I am having trouble remember everything.
We have 4 daughters; can you imagine how much stuff we had?" She went on to say, "I have taken some time off work, but have to get back.
How can I deal with this and also do my job?" And then, as always, the big question: "And how do I prove what I had?" Unfortunately, there is little we can do for her, since everything is completely destroyed.
If it wasn't a total loss, she could have walked through the muck and ashes and at least - though emotionally draining - it would have helped her remember and provided some proof.
We discussed the difficulties she has because of no prior documentation.
I gave her a few tips on ways to jog her memory, where she might be able to get some assistance with prices, and we talked about the emotional as well as the financial implications.
Though it'll be hard to go back to work, it will bring some sense of normalcy to her daughters, husband and herself.
We spoke for about 30 minutes; I noticed how strong she is and commended her on how she's handling everything.
She lightheartedly remarked, "I'm going to politely and firmly wear my adjuster down!" She was laughing at times, but sometimes I also heard a crack in her voice.
This is tough! In an instant, their lifestyle of living in a newly remodeled home changed.
The 6 of them are now living in a trailer.
After we hung up, I emailed her some links that might have helpful information.
They weren't all to do with insurance.
One covered helping children deal with the emotional side of a catastrophe.
I thought this might be particularly helpful, because as I'm sure each girl will react differently.
Of course, my thoughts now go to how this would have played out if she'd had an inventory prepared before the fire.
I'm sure she'll get one the minute they rebuild! She, like so many other people, get busy with daily activities and often delay the task of documenting belongings.
If you don't have the time, contact your local inventory service provider.
I'm sure Sue will be the first to tell you it's worth the investment - and be happy that you learned from her mistake.