Sen. Chris Murphy To Homeowners With Failing Foundations: “I Want To Help”

April 03--WILLINGTON -- Sen. Chris Murphy said Saturday that homeowners need coverage for their failing concrete foundations.

"People need a level of protection," Murphy told eight homeowners grappling with the issue. "You assume it [homeowners insurance] covers your house. If you advertise a homeowners insurance policy that it covers your entire home. To call it a homeowners policy when it only covers two-thirds of your home is wrong."

Murphy met with eight homeowners Sunday afternoon in the basement of Willington resident Tim Heim's basement to learn more about the issue and hear directly from homeowners.

"We are all the same here, we all get dressed the same, we are all middle class," Heim said to the Senator. "No middle class citizen has $200,000 to pay for this."

As of Wednesday, 168 homeowners have filed complaints with the Department of Consumer Protection alleging their foundations are failing. A dozen homeowners have sued their insurance companies for refusing their claims and four others have filed a class-action law suit against 111 active insurance companies in Connecticut.

Murphy said he thought the best solution for homeowners would come from a cooperative agreement with the insurance companies.

"It may be that the best way to solve this it to negotiate with the insurance companies, but right now the state's leverage with the insurance companies is small because we don't have the scope," Murphy said.

Like Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Murphy encouraged the homeowners present to get other homeowners with the issue to file a complaint with the DCP.

"It's very hard to pitch solutions if we don't know the scope," Murphy said.

Homeowners impressed upon the senator, the urgency of their situation.

Wally Brisson, a Stafford resident, said his house is showing signs of its foundation failing.

"I don't have time to take a chance on this," Brisson said. "I can't wait, I have to figure something out now."

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