Mylène and Willem and their three children (0 to 6) have been living in a nice house in Werkendam for 2.5 years now, but it now appears that all the wood has been eaten from top to bottom by a cellar fungus. The fungus pulls all the moisture out of the wood and ensures that only dust remains from the wooden beams in the walls and ceiling. A financial drama that they have nowhere to tell.
Mylène and Willem have a 6-year-old son, a 2-year-old daughter and their youngest daughter Elinn is only 10 weeks old. Meanwhile, the whole family camps on the first floor of the cottage. “In our bedroom we have put a sofa, fridge and TV and one of the children sleeps here on an air mattress. This is not what you want for your children,” says a defeated Mylène. “We have already cried so much that the tears are almost gone due to the hopeless situation,” Willem responds.
“It will certainly cost 150,000 euros and we cannot recover that anywhere.”
“The basement fungus came to light a few weeks ago when we wanted to lay a new floor,” says Willem as he walks between the struts in the living room. “The fungus has eaten all the wood up to the roof and is threatening to collapse the floor of the first floor.”
All the wood must be removed from the house, then the fungus must be burned away and also destroyed with gas. Then the whole house has to be rebuilt from the inside. “It will certainly cost 150,000 euros and we cannot recover that anywhere,” says Willem.
“We are 149,000 euros short on our savings account.”
“Insurance, municipality and the previous owner say: ‘Find it out’.” According to Willem, the purchase contract states that fungi, longhorn beetle and any subsidence cannot be seen as hidden defects because it is a very old house.
“We are 149,000 euros short on our savings account,” he tries to say with a smile. “I laugh about it, but I’m crying inside.” Because of their wedding plans, Willem and Mylène have saved some money and they now put that money into the house, but unfortunately it is a drop in the ocean.
In recent weeks, the family has been taken care of by family and friends. But with a family of five, this really turned out to be impossible. The insurance does not reimburse anything. No shelter, no money, no equipment. Without their friends and family, they would literally be on the street. A temporary home is not an option because every penny is very much needed. A friend of Willem and Mylène has one crowdfunding campaign set up to help the family. In the meantime, a small 9000 euros have been received.
