(WSVN) - When Help Me Howard airs, that’s not the end. Patrick and Howard keep working on your problem, and in many cases, that’s when the great news comes. In a home insurance case, an ATM case, a rent increase, in tonight’s Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.
When we met Elena and Melvin, the hard working couple didn’t have the money to buy much furniture for their apartment, but their home was filled with love for their children.
Elena: “This is a miracle. This is the aim, the purpose of whatever I do, and my husband do, because we want them to be happy healthy.”
With money tight, it made what happened when Elena went to the ATM to get the $1,420 rent money more devastating.
Elena: “Activity restricted for my card.”
Elena walked away. Little did she know the ATM then dispensed the $1,420, and police say, this customer may have gotten it.
Elena: “I was crying, and I couldn’t stop crying.”
The bank said they weren’t required to give Elena the $1,420 since their ATM dispensed it.
Then, Elena’s Help Me Howard story aired.
Elena: “It was incredibly cool because it was more than $3,500 that we received from different people that don’t know us.”
Help Me Howard viewers donated the money to cover the rent, and Elena says she used the rest to finally buy furniture.
Elena: “We bought a table and chairs, and we bought a bed for me and my husband.”
South Floridians hearts made a big difference.
Elena: “So I would like to say a huge thank you for everybody who helped us as. As I said, it was unbelievable.”
Wesley could pay the rent, but not what his landlord wanted.
Wesley Chau: “Which would bring my monthly rent with 3% from $1,800 to $1,854.”
His lease said the rent would increase by that $54 or the consumer price index, which was $144, but the landlord wanted to up it by $300.
Wesley: “And he, you know, ignores his own lease. I mean it’s ridiculous, right?”
After our story aired, Wesley took Howard’s advice and is fighting the landlord in court, paying the rent to the court registry while he waits for a judge to decide if the landlord has to follow what the lease appears say.
Wesley: “And it’s also hoping that through exposure, I can show other tenants in Miami that there is an option. You don’t have to just take it laying down. You can really fight it.”
Elisa was fighting an insurance nightmare when she called us.
Elisa: “The insurance went from $4,800 a year to $26,400 a year without explanation, without a reason why.”
Imagine you opened the bill for insurance for your home and it went up five times.
She shopped around. One company wanted $53,000.
Elisa feared she would have to sell her family home.
Elisa: “What else can I do? Right now I don’t have insurance. My house has no insurance right now.”
Her story aired, the response revealed many South Floridians were getting the same soaring insurance quotes, and we were contacted by several agencies offering to help, including Alex Ray from John Galt insurance.
Elisa: “So, well, finally we got insurance.”
Alex was able to place Elisa with better coverage at a much lower rate.
Patrick Fraser: “So it was 26. What is it now?”
Elisa: “Now is $7,200. I am, I mean, I’m extremely happy. That was God sent. You were a Godsend.”
If Elisa replaces a door, she might even get a cheaper rate. More importantly, she won’t have to sell her house.
Elisa: “Definitely. I always said I hope I never had to call Patrick Fraser for any problem, but there you go. I had it, and you guys, I mean, I’m extremely out of words to say thank you. Thank you so much.”
The key to get cheaper insurance for your home: contact insurance agencies who have a list of companies like Alex had for Elisa.
Glad it worked out for her.
Cash crunch deposited with you? Want to interest someone in helping? Contact us to insure you bring home a solution.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
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