The Damages

This is a follow up to Cleaning the Aftermath, so if you haven't read what comes before, you probably won't understand what I'm talking about here. I shall summarize though.

Steve had a tenant-gone-bad (Bob, for all intent and purposes), who after being told by a judge that he was going to be evicted, totally trashed Steve's house. The cops had to be called, and Bob was taken in, but released. That aside, we then had to start cleaning the house, and get estimates for the damages. Well, the cleaning is doing pretty good, so now it's coming down to money.

/end summary

So, now you have a basic idea should you not want to read the novellas. >_>;

Anyways... on the better half of society...

This morning (about 8am to be exact), I met up with my father and a contractor at Steve's house. Steve had to work, so unfortunately he couldn't be there as well. The guy is someone my father knows through the fire service or something, so he did the consultation for free, which is nice.

He couldn't give us any exacts, but after seeing the ceilings, walls, carpets, and other damages; he said we're probably looking at over $3,000 in damages. He'll have a better idea by this weekend though, after he makes the phone calls to the guys he knows that do painting and carpeting. He just took measurements and recorded what needed to be done to let them know. And the walls are going to be a nightmare because there's crayon and spray paint on them. >_<;

All total though, we're getting close to $5,000 in damages. We have:
-Two TVs at $1,100 total
-Two Mattresses, one full and one twin, approximately $800
-One Boxspring, approximately $400
-Damages estimated by the contractor, approximately $3,000+
-Damaged foosball table, unknown (not sure if it's claimable)

This alone totals at $5,300 or more.

Plus, we require the following items:
-Slipcovers for the furniture with paint on it (un-claimable, happened before this incident)
-New dining room table
-New coffee table
-New silverware
-New bath towels (tenants were using them like toilet paper because they're gross *gag*)
-Lightbulbs (minor, but it adds up)
-New Curtains/Drapes (Bob threw Steve's out because he didn't like them.)

Of those items, I have some pots, pans, and silverware from when I was in Massachusetts that I can give Steve, but we don't know yet if it'll be enough.

Dad says we probably won't actually see any restitution from Bob, since the county will put a judgment against him, but that doesn't mean he can/will pay it. However, with all this we will be able to file a claim with Steve's home owners insurance, and he'll get the money that way. Then if Bob does make any restitution payments, Steve will see money from him. Totally messed up, but at the very least it's better than nothing at all.

So there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's just difficult to see through all the fog.