HIGH POINT, N.C. — Izetta Smith is proud of the house she calls home. Smith moved into the home when she was just a kid. Her mom and dad bought the home back in the early 1960’s.
“We were the first blacks to move into this neighborhood,” Smith said.
The single-story High Point home has a large front yard and a gate that wraps around the property. The carport is on the right side of the home and has a side door that opens into the kitchen.
“My parents loved this home,” Smith said.
Both parents have since died, and Smith moved back in several years ago. The old home has been through a lot through the years and is starting to show its age just a bit.
Smith told WFMY News 2 that some storms damaged the roof and needed repairs. Not too long after that Smith was in bed one morning when she heard a loud crashing or banging sound.
“I didn’t know what it was, it was loud,” Smith said.
Once she went to investigate, she quickly discovered the ceiling in the kitchen had collapsed. The drywall was hanging down and insulation was dangling from the ceiling.’
“The whole ceiling just started falling,” Smith said.
A day or two later Smith reached out to her insurance company to file a claim. She also had the insurance company reopen the old claim. It didn’t take long before the claim was denied.
Smith again contacted the insurance company and after not getting any additional assistance she called WFMY News 2. By this point, Smith was frustrated and confused about why the claim was denied.
“I’m thinking is this for real, are you not seeing all (the photos) I’m showing you,” Smith said.
After talking with Smith, we contacted the insurance company. While the original claim to repair the roof was denied the insurance company did decide to cover the cost of repairing the ceiling in the kitchen.
“It worked, you did it, thank you so much. It may be small, but I appreciate it,” Smith said.
The repairs will cost around $2,000 and Smith is on a fixed income so having the repairs covered certainly helps.