Yenc-Post wrote:

Jim Redelfs wrote in
:

In article , buzz
wrote:

I was tremendously disorganized and I guess depressed for a while
and I let my home insurance lapse, for several years now. One
company said they wouldn't sell me any becuase I didn't have any.
They consider those who let their insurance lapse to be a risk.

If I find a place with lower standards, will they insist on
inspecting my house? It's safe enough, but an incredible mess. I
want to clean up, and I will, but I need insurance now.

Any recommendations of what to do or what insurance company to call?

I live alone. Things piled everywhere, the middle of the living room,
the family room, and the bedrooms are full, and the sofas and spare
beds are loaded with stuff, the right half of the stairs is full of
stuff to go up or downstairs but there is no way to take the stuff to
the next floor until things there are put away, unwashed dishes, tv's
and stereos I intend to fix stacked up 2 tv's high.

You, kind sir, are my late uncle reincarnate. He lived alone in a
smaller home quite literally full to the rafters with stuff. Not
garbage or filth - that went out on the curb every Friday - but he
kept literally EVERYTHING else. When the gentleman died, his estate
removed 30,000 books and cancelled 84 magazine subscriptions including
"Flying" and "Parents" - he was a lifelong bachelor with no children
and didn't even have a drivers license, much less a pilot license.
The company that cleaned out the house filled and emptied a 40 cu. yd.
yard roll-off dumpster (the biggest they have that you usually see
behind large shopping malls) SIX TIMES. The house had deteriorated
substantially but was still liveable.

He, too, let his house insurance lapse.

The VERY FIRST thing the executor did was to get insurance on the
house. They insured the place AS IS.

Call a company every day or so until you get the coverage you need.
They are regulated by your state so there shouldn't be much difference
for basic coverage.

If they must inspect the place, and they probably do, let 'em. So
what if it's a mess? It's YOUR house, it's YOUR life and you're
hurting NO ONE else.

Obviously, Uncle Bob had problems (depression among them), but he was
a good man and gentleman in every respect. The issue(s) that caused
your situation are beyond the scope of a home repair newsgroup, but
give yourself credit for posting.

Get the insurance and let 'em inspect the place. A little
embarrassment is a small price to pay for protection of something of
considerable value.

Good luck!

I used to be the same way. (due to death in the family). My auto insurance
lapsed. Because it was not renewed as opposed to being cancelled, the
company never notified the state. I was driving w/o insurance. I got
up the nerve to call my former agent. Long story short....my agent went to
bat for me. I always used to be a good client. He went thru a lot of
trouble for me and got my ins. reinstated. What a relief. I now pay all
my bills on time. I set up automatic payments thru the phone Co., water
co.,electric co., and so forth.

Additionally in some if not all states there is an alternate insurance
program run by the state that will provide at least basic insurance
(enough to cover the mortgage) on most anything that isn't ready to be
condemned. It's also pretty affordably priced from what I've seen. The
one I'm familiar with is in CT and called the "F.A.I.R. plan", you need
to have been turned down for coverage by at least two regular carriers
first.

Pete C.