A Buckhead couple said they are trying to figure out what to do after a squirrel got into their new home and tore the place apart.
Kari and Dustin Drees said their insurance company won’t cover the repairs for the damage the squirrel caused, Channel 2 Action News reported.
The couple told the news station they went to visit family for Christmas soon after purchasing their home on Darlington Drive. While they were gone, Kari Drees said an alarm went off in the home.
“We had a friend come check it out and our doors and windows were intact, so we just thought it was a software issue,” she said.
When they got back from vacation, the house was in disarray. The floors were scratched and the baseboards had been chewed, Drees said. A faucet in the kitchen had been left on, so she and her husband thought someone had burglarized their home.
As it turns out, a squirrel had fallen down their chimney and gotten trapped in the unattended house.
“It seems like he was trying to make his way out of the house,” Drees said. “So, he started chewing every window, every door, just trying to get out."
The squirrel ran throughout the home, chewing baseboards, scratching floors and leaving droppings strewn about. Eventually, it nested in the Drees’ couch.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“You would think insurance would cover you for something like this,” she said.
However, when an insurance adjuster came by, he denied the claim and cited an exclusion for rodents and vermin. Many homeowners’ policies exclude coverage for damage caused by rodents or vermin, as the onus is on the homeowner for pest control, Channel 2 reported.
In a statement to Channel 2, the Drees’ insurance company said it is denying the overall claim, but it will cover two weeks of a hotel stay for the family.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover some of the costs of repairs.
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