Waukesha house fire, burst pipes leads to insurance dispute
WAUKESHA, Wis. - A fire destroyed most of her belongings. But a Waukesha woman said what her insurance company did next made everything worse.
Ten months have gone by since a fire started in the home Harriet Hoffer's family has lived in for generations
"This melted from the fire. They said it was 700 degrees in here. 700," Hoffer said.
Waukesha fire inspectors say a charger plugged into the wall sparked the fire in Hoffer's bedroom just days after Christmas. Hoffer, her family and dogs got out OK.
"I lost everything," Hoffer said.
Harriet Hoffer
Hoffer moved all of her stuff that was not destroyed in the fire to the basement.
In January, she said her insurance company, Safeco, took possession of the house. Hoffer said that is when things got worse.
"They said they would board up the windows – they didn’t. They said they would winterize – but they didn’t," Hoffer said.
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Hoffer's attorney, Joseph Seifert, said the pipes burst and flooded the basement.
"The losses after the fire are almost as significant as the fire itself," Seifert said.
Joseph Seifert
Seifert said fire and water caused "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in damage.
Seifert is not pursuing a lawsuit against Safeco, asking the insurance company to compensate Hoffer for the damage before and after the fire. He said there is something we can do to avoid the mess Hoffer is in.
"The most important thing is to document. Know who you’re talking with, times dates and verify," Seifert said.
Hoffer took notes every step of the way. Seifert said that will help them if this case goes to court.
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"Why has the insurance company been dragging their feet? This is an issue and it’s one we are going to explore," Seifert said.
After all these months, Hoffer just wants to go home.
"If you don’t have an adjuster, or somebody to help you, you have no way to make it with insurance companies today," Hoffer said.
FOX6 News asked Safeco questions about the pipes bursting. Safeco's parent company, Liberty Mutual, said the company does not publicly address clients' claims, but plans to reach out to Hoffer directly.