Pickett Family Tree Eviction Assistance

Update 7/29 

The Good: We have raised over 1/3 of our goal! This will cover our deductible entirely and that is an incredible relief. We are so thankful to everyone who has shared or donated so far!

The Bad: We have spoken with our insurance company multiple times but have yet to hear from an insurance adjuster going on 4 days post filing our claim. We have, through a helpful tree removal service, been able to have the tree removed from the house, though the bulk of the trunk remains in our back yard. Our insurance claims rep has not been terribly helpful and is telling us different things with every phone call. We are working with them as much as we can. So currently the tree has been removed from the roof, but payment has not yet been made and we are in a holding pattern until at least Monday. 

The tree being removed revealed at least 1 broken roof truss, potentially 2 or more, in addition to the damage to the roof, siding, gutters, and foundation. But the tree is gone! And our roof is tarped off, though last nights continued rain may have leaked inside via the siding and damage to the sides of the house. Regardless, the tree has been evicted from the roof and can't do any more damage.

The Ugly: We have had to move to a different hotel because after 2 nights in the first, we discovered that our hotel room had BEDBUGS. We have taken all reasonable mitigation steps available to us. But as we were at our house using the couch while dealing with contractors, out of an extreme abundance of caution, we will be getting rid of the couch that is at risk. 

At this point we are tired, overwhelmed, and our girls are tired of being away from home. Hopefully once the adjuster has been out to inspect the home we will know for sure if it's safe to be in the home considering the damage. In the meantime, we are in a different (bug free) hotel, preparing for our youngest daughter Andi's first birthday on Monday. 

If we can reach our goal it would buy us precious peace of mind and some security while we navigate this process. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so kind and generous thus far, we cannot thank you all enough. 

During the storms on Wednesday 7/26/2023 a large tree fell on our home and caused considerable damage. Our roof is shot, our foundation is cracked, and our fence is toast. Our home is not currently safe and until the tree is removed from the roof we will be in a hotel. Our home insurance will cover the repair expenses, but first...we need to evict the tree.

Unfortunately, the cost of removing the tree is something we will have to pay up front and be reimbursed for later by our insurance company, along with the cost of our hotel and living expenses while we find someone to assist our tree eviction efforts.

We have been quoted $2500 to remove the tree from the roof, plus additional fees to remove the tree from our property.

Our goal is to cover the initial cost of tree eviction, and help with having it removed from our property. We have a 5 year old and a baby, and are hoping to be back in our home as soon as possible. Any help is greatly appreciated to help us get the process started to make our home safe for our girls while we get started on repairs.