After their first storm damage claim turned into a comedy of leaks - combatted only by our heroes’ bravery and their pots-and-pan ballet - Kenny and Shari finally receive their insurance settlement check for just over $4,000. Relief is short-lived, though, as they realize the payout is meaningless if they don’t have a contractor to actually do the work…and that the cheque might not be enough.
Enter Doug Quinn, an insurance-industry-insider turned consumer advocate, who joins the show to explain what really happens when a claim gets adjusted, why so many homeowners end up underpaid, and how to fight back. Doug’s story of losing his own home in Superstorm Sandy reveals the darker side of an industry built on trust - and the critical role of public adjusters, self-advocacy, and persistence. His advice gives homeowners a playbook for pushing back when the numbers don’t add up.
Meanwhile, back in California, Kenny and Shari’s “minor” kitchen window leak turns into a multi-month odyssey through contractors with reality-show egos, vanishing estimates, and escalating quotes. As they chase down “Screwdriver Slim” and “Hammer Dan,” personal storms brew, too: Shari’s father receives a devastating cancer diagnosis, forcing them to ask where they really belong.
Along the way, Kenny and Shari share (with Doug’s help):
- How insurance claims really get handled behind the scenes
- The difference between private and public adjusters
- Practical steps for homeowners to self-advocate after a denied or low claim
- The emotional toll of home repair limbo…and the moment grief changes everything
- The beginnings of what would become the Brady Windows saga
Even the smallest leak can expose how fragile the promise of protection really is - and how important it is to understand your rights before disaster strikes.
Find the links discussed in this episode here:
American Policyholder Association website
APA How to Self Advocate in an Insurance Dispute resource
United Survivors Disaster Relief
Bonus content: See photos of the real pots and pans ballet and other images from the fiasco at abandonedhousepod.com
This podcast is the official companion to the book series of the same name Abandon House: How to Survive a Home Repair Fiasco. Book 1 is available wherever you buy books, and at this link: https://www.amazon.com/Abandon-House-Survive-Repair-Fiasco/dp/B0FJYRFYKT
Next time: The search for someone - anyone - to fix the dreaded “what-are-those-called?” skywall windows begins. Two bids in, the insurance estimate is STILL a joke…so the Rudolphs fight back, appeal the decision, and actually win.
