Lesbian Couple's House Torched, Insurance Company Refuses to Act on Claim

[marmar]

from AlterNet:



Lesbian Couple's House Torched, Insurance Company Refuses to Act on Claim


Tennessee residents Carol Ann and Laura Stutte returned to their home after having left town to celebrate their anniversary only to find that their dream home had been torched.

Change.org has the details:

Despite numerous police reports documenting a neighbor that had threatened to burn down their home and who repeatedly told them the "...only thing better than one dead queer was two dead queers..." no arrests have been made.

The Stutte home had no gas service and was all electric. Even with witness reports of two explosions and a fireball that could be seen above the treeline, that all waterhoses on the property had been cut and that "QUEER" had been painted on their garage the Monroe County Sheriff's Department, Tennesse Bureau of Investigation and FBI have yet to rule the fire as an arson.

.............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/508858/lesbian_couple%27s_house_torched%2C_insurance_company_refuses_to_act_on_claim/

[KittyWampus]

1. Tennessee- I hope these two women get some support some how, some where.

They must be totally traumatized.

I hope the Feds do get involved.

[derby378]

2. I bet the arsonist has a secret hoard of lesbian porn flicks

All on VHS, because his broke ass can't afford a DVD player yet.

[unkachuck]

12. on Beta?

....my gut tells me this is more hate crime than insurance fraud....but I did have a large bowl of brussel sprouts for lunch....

[HockeyMom]

Very., very said

When will this country learn that people are people, no matter WHO they happen to love.

[KittyWampus]

3. There is a petition to their insurance co. at the link. They aren't paying up.

[Lucinda]

5. Signed

:hi:

[FBaggins]

4. No way to tell from here whether it's a hate crime

or insurance fraud.

Not unusual for an insurance company to withhold payment until they were sure.

[Lucinda]

6. True.

I hope its sorted out quickly though. If they were targeted, they need to be treated like anyone else would be, and their claim paid.

[Kurovski]

8. Is waiting over 6 months typical?

In the mean time the women have filed against the creepshit neighbor.

[FBaggins]

10. I'd imagine that it certainly can be.

Remove the fact that the couple is politically attractive and you would probably assume that it was insurance fraud. The home was purchased one year before the market peak, one of the two ladies is a landscaper (not a thriving business these days) and one (don't remember which) has a child from a previous relationship. It wouldn't be a stretch to guess that times are tight financially and they are likely upside down in this home.

Investigating something like that could take some time... especially when the folks who investigate such things have been, shall we say, "busy" in recent years.

[progressoid]

16. Unfortunately, it can be.

Especially if they are waiting for official cause.

It took five months for us to get a check from his insurance company after my brothers death. And that was a simple one.

[Kurovski]

22. Then it appears I've over-reacted to the matter.

eep

[Kurovski]

7. K&R

Righties ( in the dem party & elsewhere) love this shit.

What the fuck is wrong with people? Stop with the crazed church lady shit already.

[du_da]

9. If the insurance company isn't filling the claim

then the case has yet to be closed or at the very least the home owners haven't been excluded for liability. The sexuality of the homeowners does not seem relevant to the status of the claim. If the claim was being denied they would receive notification of such.

What this means is that the police have reason to believe something is afoul but do not have enough proof to go forward with an arrest. In this case, the crime obviously being arson means that the insurance company is going to hold out filling the claim until they have a report from the police that indicates the home owners were not liable for the damages. It is a catch 22. If the investigators hurry then they could miss out on a conviction if they don't then the homeowners end up waiting.

Not a great situation, but hardly inappropriate.

[RobinA]

11. Find This Odd

as well. I can't imagine an insurance company gives a fig about the sexual orientation of the homwowners.

[ThomCat]

17. You would be wrong. Insurance companies are made of people

and people have prejudices. Companies also have cultures all their own, and they tend to be conservative. The prejudices, or perceived prejudices, of the executives tend to dominate in any company's culture. So the fact that these two are lesbians could very well be making a big difference.

Only can't imagine someone who is a minority thinking that being a minority wouldn't matter to a company. Imagine being black, and thinking that your race can't matter to a company. You always suspect that it matters.

Every time I deal with a company I wonder if it matters that I have a visible disability, and you would surprised how often it does matter. Just like you would be surprised how often the way I am treated suddenly changes if they find out I'm gay. Yes, it does matter.

[ReggieVeggie]

13. they have yet to rule the fire as arson?

Are they stupid or complicit?

We sure have a long way to go.

[white_wolf]

14. I'm just going to say one thing

While I'm almost sure the arson happened because the couple were lesbians. I'll bet you anything the insurance company would have cheated them regardless. They don't care about stuff like that, in their eyes everyone is equal: a commodity to exploit.

[flvegan]

15. What did the fire department's report say?

Normally they're pretty quick to suggest HOW a fire started, WHEN it started and if there's a potential for arson. It would seem that the sheriff and FBI would go from there. Please, first the facts, then the motive/intent if the facts dictate figuring that out.

That said, I won't give my opinion of the neighbor as it would just get this post deleted. Suffice to say, I'd kind of like to have a talk with him. In private.

[msanthrope]

18. No cause attributed yet. I don't think the Insurance company can pay out

until they have a ruling/cause.

[WolverineDG]

21. They probably haven't paid out because LE says it's arson

but won't name a suspect or at least rule out the insureds. The insurer doesn't have to pay if one of the insured burns down the house. Instead of lambasting the insurance company, pressure needs to be put on LE to at least rule out the two women so the company can pay.

dg

[Ignis]

19. Oh yeah.

I'd be happy to hold him for you serve as an impartial judge of the debate you propose.

[firehorse]

20. signed petition - name of insurance company: American National Property and Casualty

hope others sign petition