2 lives, like home, hit hard

The couple, who live on Social Security disability, wonder where they go from here after a truck plows into their modest bungalow.

By WILMA NORTON

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 12, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- The runaway truck smashed their home and the five years of work Richard and Lori House had put into it.

Richard House said he and his wife, both of whom are disabled, had saved for years before buying the tiny bungalow at 1113 Highland Court N in 1995. House had been making it nicer as quickly as he could, he said.

He had just put in a new window, right in the spot where the truck hit Friday afternoon after rolling down a slight incline.

"It was right on top of me," he said Saturday as he watched workers sent by the insurance company temporarily shore up the front of his home.

While they watched, the Houses worried about where they are going to live and how they are going to eat until they can return to the home.

They live on Social Security disability of $674 a month, he said. They also get about $250 a month in food stamps. They had been to the grocery this week to stock up, spending much of their monthly allowance.

Almost all the food was ruined when the power was cut off after the accident, he said.

"We have no food, no nothing," Lori House said.

Their insurance company has put them in a motel temporarily and paid to put their two dogs in a kennel. The couple hopes to get some food vouchers from the insurance company Monday.

On top of everything else, the couple missed Saturday's Special Olympics, held at Lakewood High, they said. He normally competes in the softball throw, they said, and she competes in the standing long jump.

"We've got trophies," he said. "We've got medals."

The Houses met at Joyland in 1983, Richard House said, where he was doing an Elvis impersonator act. They have been together ever since, he said. "We never fight or argue."

Her parents are dead, Lori House, 41, said. Her husband said he is estranged from most of his family.

"They're basically on their own," neighbor Lori Ngo said.

Ngo and her mother, Carol Coffman, were trying to help them out Saturday, helping them deal with the insurance adjuster and urging House, 49, not to sign any documents until he had seen his attorney.

"I got a little bit of intelligence, but I don't need anybody to take advantage of me," House said.

As the Houses watched, Mrs. Coffman came over to bring them a hot pepperoni pizza and a couple of cold sodas.

"I call her Mom," Lori House said of Mrs. Coffman.

Richard and Lori House said they couldn't believe what happened to the house they love.

He proudly pointed past the crumpled house front to the new tile he had laid on the living room floor and to the brass and glass chandelier he had installed.

"It didn't even touch the chandelier," he said.

She had just gone to the back of the house when the truck hit; he was sitting on the couch near the point of impact.

"It's a shock to me," he said Saturday. "I'm glad God was on my side."

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