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Ray Stephanson, mayor
<br />2930 Wetmore Ave. Ste. 10-A
<br />Everett, WA 98201
<br />Dear Mayor Stephenson:
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<br />February 25, 2007
<br />We were told by public adjuster David L. Griffith, that you rendered assistance to him in the month of July
<br />2006 with regard to our fire damaged home. We hired Sound Loss & Claims of Marysville, Washington the first
<br />week of May 2006, following the tragic fire loss af our historic cottage, which we'd recently completed updating
<br />and restoration work on, for the purposes of historic preservation and as a professional art studio.
<br />The professional fee charged by Mr David L. Griffith was 10°/a of the structure settlement, or approximately
<br />$20,000 to date, and we paid this amount to him, in accordance with his business and our attorney's counsel.
<br />Farmers Insurance issued a check for $137,000 to begin repairs, which was the first portion of three installments
<br />of what was termed by Farmers Large Loss Claims director, Jeffrey Losey, a large loss claim, due to the
<br />magnitude of water which entered the structure, in putting out the blaze. The original lathe and thich lime plaster
<br />construction of the walls and ceilings of the cottage, coupled with the heavy tarp placed over the fire damaged roof,
<br />produced a greenhouse effect throughout the hot summer monthes, enabling mold and mildew to grow.
<br />The Belfor Construction Services stated to us that their plan was to replace the entire roof, but we wondered
<br />how they wouid achieve this, with the seriously aRered building plans of our fire specialist adjuster. Or would
<br />the shortened plans aclually prevent the appropriate replacement of this seriously damaged roof?
<br />The cottage has been listed on the Everett Historic Register since 1990. Like the individual who sold the
<br />property to our family in 1989, we've completed various aspects of work, or restoration projects for which we've
<br />received recognition from the Everett Historic Commission. In the past, we've worked with the Lowell Civic
<br />Association, and participated in the historic tours and community activities of Lowell which take place each year.
<br />The public adjuster stated to me by telephone in July 2006 that an attempt was made to thwart the building
<br />plans he'd submitted in connection with an entire new roof structure, including the stick built timber framing of our
<br />101 year year old home, purchased in 1989. The roof structure was 101 years old, built with 2X4 construction,
<br />which is no longer code. The entire roof portion over the east bedroom was burned off, and structural timbers
<br />were charred over our daughters bedrooms, making the roof extremely unsound. In addition, to this, the weather
<br />rapidly deteriorated the roof tarp, enabiing rainwater and snow to enter the structure, pouring onto first growth
<br />hardwood floors, and leaking through into the downstairs portion of the home at an alarming rate, threatening the
<br />very structural integrity of the home.
<br />We were distressed to learn from David Gri�th that Eldon Lewis of Farmer's Insurance, a man Mr Lewis
<br />brought with him to the house, named Jack Feingold, whom Farmers used to obtain engineering information, and a
<br />3/s
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