A baby bat inside the Trufant home. Courtesy: Bat Pro Animal Control
UPDATE 7/22/11 (WZZM)- A Kent County family turned to 13 On Your Side when they were told their insurance company wouldn't pay for the removal of brown bats from their home.
We first told you about the story Thursday night on WZZM 13 News at 6. Since then, several people have called offering to help the young couple with their problem.
They have several bats in their home and it's become a health concern for them and their 11-month old baby.
Derek and Stephanie Kohler first noticed a strong smell in their home this summer. They eventually found out that it was coming from the attic. Several bats were living in the rafters and there was several inches of bat droppings, called guano. It will cost the Kohlers just under $15,000 to get the mess cleaned-up, the bats removed, and the house bat proofed.
They called 13 On Your Side when their insurance company denied their claim. Stephanie Kohler says, "We just recently found out that triple AAA insurance won't pay anything at all. I don't know who can come up with $15,000 dollars, but that's what we have to pay."
In a statement from AAA Michigan, spokesperson Nancy Cain says, "We do not cover losses directly or indirectly resulting from pollutants or contaminants from any source, and we do not cover damage directly or indirectly caused by birds, vermin, rodents, insects or domestic animals." AAA went on to say, "We have reviewed the area where the bats entered the home. The damage is related to faulty design of the roof and siding installation."
13 On Your Side consulted an attorney on this issue and there is litigation involving this particular clause that several insurance companies use. A home owner recently won a Supreme Court case in Wisconsin. It was decided that bat guano was not a "pollutant" as described in the policy.
The Kohler's are now in contact with an attorney. WZZM 13 News will continue to follow the story.
TRUFANT, Mich. (WZZM)- The heat of the summer has revealed a nasty and dangerous problem for a Kent County family. The smell led them to the discovery of several Big Brown Bats inside their home. They contacted 13 On Your Side for help because they can't afford the costly clean up and insurance won't pay. The bats have become a potential health problem for them and their 11-month old baby.
"It was horrible, horrible smell. We didn't know what it was," says Stephanie Kohler. She and her husband Derek bought a 100-year old re-furbished farmhouse in Trufant in the fall of 2009. "This summer is when it got really strong. And we can hear them in the ceilings and the walls now."
Stephanie knew something was lurking in the walls, she just didn't know what. Then, she started seeing bugs. "Giving us welts and they suck your blood. Kind of like a little tick they look like." The bugs turned out to be bat mites, which can only mean one thing. Jason Grimm with Bat Pro Animal Control says, "The bats are currently up in the soffits and behind that gable vent. Grimm took pictures of the damage in the attics. He found several inches of bat droppings called "guano". There were adult bats hiding in the rafters along with a baby bat, still hairless and unable to fly. He says there are between 50 and 70 bats up there right now. They were getting in and out through a small crack in the siding. "The gap is only about 3/8th's of an inch thick."
The immediate concern was the bat droppings and the family's health. "When guano is several inches deep, it can contain moisture and can contain fungal spores." When breathed, those spores can affect the lungs.
The Kohler's 11-month old daughter Maya has been suffering from upper respiratory issues. Stephanie says, "Since she's still sick, she has to go in for chest x-rays, just to make sure what it is, or isn't because of the guano smell."
The Kohlers have since moved downstairs and shut off the entire second floor of the house.
The cost to remove the bats, clean up the mess, and bat-proof the house, is $14,700. Grimm says, "This is a fairly good sized job. It's a farmhouse with three different attics."
To make matters worse, the Kohlers say their insurance company won't pay for the repairs. They can't understand why. The inspection before the home was purchased didn't note any bat problems and there wasn't anything disclosed in the purchase agreement. "I don't know who can come up with almost $15,000. But, that's what we have to pay."
The Kohlers are now trying to figure out what to do. Stephanie works full-time and goes to school. Derek works seven days a week. They have nowhere to go and the bats are taking over their home.
13 On Your Side has contacted the insurance company to ask them why they won't cover any of the repairs. It is a very large, well-known company. We will have their response Friday night on WZZM News at 6.
By Sarah Sell