The incident occurred before dawn on May 31, when the apex predator burst through a low window in 77-year-old Mary Wischhusen's Clearwater condo, causing extensive damage to walls and shattering bottles of wine across the floor.
Though the exact cost of the damage is unknown, Wischhusen told WPTV that she cannot afford to repair the wreckage. That’s why she filed a claim with Florida Peninsula Insurance Company. After nearly two months with a boarded-up window, Wischhusen’s claim has been denied.
WPTV reported that Wischhusen’s coverage excludes damage caused by several wild animals, including reptiles. This gap in coverage appears to be pretty common, as Insurance agent Karyn Roeling told the station that many current policies exclude wildlife damage.
Wischhusen had hoped the bizarre nature of the incident would be the exception to the rule, but that was not the case.
"It’s a gator that went into a house,” Wischhusen told the station “and gators don’t go into houses.”
Apparently, they do.
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This article appears in Jul 18-25, 2019.