Texas Cliff-Hanging House Set on Fire

June 17, 2014

  • June 17, 2014 at 1:29 pm
    Captain Planet says:
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    “Geologists and inspectors had told them before they purchased the land that the property was perfectly stable, “and so we bought it in good faith,” Webb said.

    So, it was Texas geologists and inspectors that screwed up. Figures, can this be the great Texas education system at work here? Maybe need some more time in the science classroom? Or, perhaps it’s the lack of regulation and oversight. First, a town blows up and now a perfectly good family loses a home they were gifting to their grandchildren.

    • June 17, 2014 at 2:09 pm
      Agent says:
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      Any many on the left said Ethanol from corn was a good idea and was environmentally friendly. Not so much! It also screws up car injectors and the mileage is much worse.

      • June 17, 2014 at 2:13 pm
        Libby says:
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        What does Left v. Right have to do with this, Agent? Are you so jaded and divisive that everything is an us v. them issue?

        • June 17, 2014 at 4:04 pm
          Agent says:
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          It became an us vs them issue when Planet made it that way in his opening comment. I don’t suppose anything that goes wrong in the rest of the country is ever mentioned. It is always Texas problem and Texas people screwed up. I can find plenty of things to talk about in the north that are screwed up.

          • June 17, 2014 at 4:44 pm
            Libby says:
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            Downing Texas has nothing to do with party affiliation. It has to do with Texas.

      • June 18, 2014 at 9:08 am
        Captain Planet says:
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        Many in all parties thought it was a good idea, especially those who had a vested interest. Though, the science doesn’t support it. Whereas the exhaust is more friendly to the environment, the process it takes to manufacture the product is not. Like you said, Agent, is has been known to have a negative impact on car injectors it is also not as economcial when speaking to miles per gallon. Just filled up with straight 87 here today.

        There are good qualities about Texas. Like, The San Antonio Spurs, for example. I LOVE what they did to The Heat this year. I remembered always talking about how many Championships Jordan was going to win. I think the question for LeBron is, how many is he going to lose? Further, don’t be talking about LeBron being better than MJ. Everytime Mike got there he brought home the hardware!

        • June 19, 2014 at 9:29 am
          Agent says:
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          Good to see you make at least one positive comment about Texas, Planet. Every year, the analysts discount the Spurs because they are “too old” and can’t make it through the season without debilitating injuries etc. 5 Championships later, they are still doing it. Tim Duncan is an amazing player and they have several role players who are very good and they are a real team instead of several prima donnas. They also have superior coaching with Popovich.

          • June 19, 2014 at 10:33 am
            KY jw says:
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            Is there a Tony Parker on the Spurs? I saw an interview on Sportscenter and he’s a riot! Great attitude. I’m pretty sure that’s his name. I don’t watch NBA; so I wouldn’t be surprised if I messed up his name. I just catch interviews and info on ESPN.

          • June 19, 2014 at 11:18 am
            Libby says:
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            Yes, there is. In fact, he was married to Eva Longoria for awhile.

          • June 19, 2014 at 2:08 pm
            KY jw says:
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            I don’t know who Eva Longoria is, but thanks for letting me know I got the name right.

          • June 20, 2014 at 5:08 pm
            FFA says:
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            Hey JW, was in Camy Indiana yesterday. Am I getting close to you?

          • June 23, 2014 at 12:08 pm
            Agent says:
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            KY, you have led a sheltered life if you don’t know who Eva Longloria is. Did you not watch Desperate Housewives back when it was a popular show? She was the hot Hispanic wive who cheated on her husband on a number of occasions. On Parker, he has been one of the sparks on the Spurs for many years and is one of the best point guards in the business.

          • June 23, 2014 at 1:08 pm
            txmouthbreatherboogereathertx says:
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            Agent, Why are you watching a show for MILF’s?

          • June 23, 2014 at 4:55 pm
            KY jw says:
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            Agent – Never watched Desperate Housewives.

            FFA – not sure where Camy is. I’ve got family in Jeffersonville, IN. I’m about an hour into the sticks from there.

    • June 17, 2014 at 2:37 pm
      KentU says:
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      This doesn’t mean the Texas geologist and inspector screwed up. The land may have been OK when they bought the property but, a number of factors can change that status. The first two things I think of is the septic system and the sprinkler system. Did either the septic system or sprinkler system contractors do something that would cause problems to the land after several years? I live at this same lake and installing septic tanks and lateral lines requires excavation through limestone that could have created cracks in the limestone. If a sprinkler system has a leak it can eventually saturate the ground enough to cause problems with the limestone. It is my understanding the home was left unoccupied for periods of time and leaving either a septic, plumbing and/or sprinkler system unchecked can always cause serious problems. My plumber does maintenance for a lodge near this home and has told me about lots of problems their septic tank system causes to the adjacent limestone.
      Yes, the town of West is near Whitney but, it was federal regulations that needed to be improved that caused that disaster.

      • June 20, 2014 at 1:22 pm
        FFA says:
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        Re the Geologists, how does any one know where they went to school?

        • June 23, 2014 at 11:48 am
          Agent says:
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          FFA, for all we know, the geologists may have gone to school in Iowa or Pennsylvania or even Illinois. You have seen people assuming before. They do it all the time on this blog and it is irritating to say the least. They would rather slam Texas all the time and are envious that Texas is creating more jobs than all their Blue States combined.

          • June 23, 2014 at 12:39 pm
            txmouthbreatherboogereathertx says:
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            We do know they didn’t go to Texican Christian, Texican Tech, Texican A&M, Sam Texican State, Condi Rice, Texican-El Paso, or Davey Crockett County Community Technical Trade School and Rodeo Clown College.

          • June 23, 2014 at 12:57 pm
            InsGuy says:
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            most likely they did go to school somewhere else — they just had to come here to get a job

  • June 17, 2014 at 1:55 pm
    Crain says:
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    Perhaps these were the same inspectors who told a Texas landowner that fracking had not impacted his water. He turned on his faucet and lit the water with a match. It flamed.

  • June 17, 2014 at 2:00 pm
    Nan says:
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    It’s Texas….buyer beware! No regulation, no recourse… just pay and hope for the best.

    • June 17, 2014 at 2:14 pm
      Libby says:
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      Just pay and pray!

    • June 17, 2014 at 2:23 pm
      integrity matters says:
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      Maybe the inspectors are too busy trying to help secure the borders!

      • June 17, 2014 at 3:22 pm
        Libby says:
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        Then someone should tell them they are building inspectors and not border patrol.

        • June 17, 2014 at 5:35 pm
          integrity matters says:
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          That would work if Obama and Holder would do THEIR job and uphold the immigration laws! Someone’s got to try to protect the border if the Feds are not.

          • June 23, 2014 at 11:41 am
            Agent says:
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            Actually, Perry has sent additional security to the border to stem the tide. He will now be subject to a suit from Holder like Arizona got for doing the Feds job.

          • June 27, 2014 at 3:43 pm
            Agent says:
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            Well, Boehner is trying to spur some action since he is suing Obama for not faithfully executing the laws of the land including immigration laws that are on the books. Now, we have a Swine Flu outbreak from all these people coming up from Central America and walking right in.

        • June 23, 2014 at 1:00 pm
          InsGuy says:
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          Haven’t you heard? That’s a federal issue.

          Every time we try to enforce, LULAC sues and the courts tell us immigration has to be enforced at the federal level!

  • June 17, 2014 at 6:10 pm
    txmouthbreatherboogereatertx says:
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    This sounds like arson. Maybe Rick Perry will buy this land or just take it, and call it Ricki Lake.

    • June 18, 2014 at 8:29 am
      ralph says:
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      while I generally disagree with 95% or so of your posts, that was DAMN funny! My hat’s off to you.

      • June 18, 2014 at 8:36 am
        txmouthbreatherboogereatertx says:
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        Thank you, we’ll work on that 95%

    • June 18, 2014 at 9:02 am
      Captain Planet says:
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      txmouth – that is brilliant!

    • June 19, 2014 at 9:22 am
      Agent says:
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      And maybe Harry Reid will rename the football team – The Reidskins.

      • June 19, 2014 at 9:24 am
        txmouthbreatherboogereatertx says:
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        Foreskins

        • June 19, 2014 at 9:35 am
          Agent says:
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          Harry Reid is a foreskin!

  • June 18, 2014 at 5:14 pm
    jazzeelady28 says:
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    Absolutely love the Ricki Lake comment, txmouth!

    I think another likely culprit causing the damage is the drought. Lake is probably down 30% or more, ground all around dry & cracked, water table low or depleted.

    Since the situation with the house first hit the news, I’ve been trying to figure out if there is any kind of insurance coverage for this, and I’ve been stumped!! Hopefully, this is a pretty rare occurrence, but just wondering……

    • June 19, 2014 at 11:19 am
      Libby says:
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      Doesn’t earthquake coverage include earth movement?

      • June 23, 2014 at 1:04 pm
        InsGuy says:
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        I don’t think so, but could be wrong.

        I think they are distinct causes of loss. Think mud slide, sink holes or foundation settling. I don’t think any are covered, EQ coverage or no. Although, maybe coverage if the proximate cause IS a covered peril.

    • June 19, 2014 at 8:32 pm
      KentU says:
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      I found out this morning (I live on the same lake as this house – see my remarks above) that the fissure (crack in the ground) extends across the neighbor’s back yard. The section of land is about 20 feet wide and 90 feet long. The fissure has grown large enough for a person to fall into it with it being an estimated 75 to 100 feet deep. Engineers are currently figuring out how to go ahead and displace this section of rock/ground thus sending it into the lake below. The drought has the lake 11 feet below normal (it was recently over 13 feet low) which is the lowest it has been since about 1970. Lake Whitney is a deep lake with some sections being well over 100 feet deep – it is the Brazos rivers dammed up. Geologist now think that wave action against the limestone has weakened the base – something the original geologist report wouldn’t have known because the lake level was too high at that time to examine it. However, a legal remedy is being considered against the geologist that gave the original report.
      I was incorrect that the house had a septic tank as the White Bluff Resorts has sewer and its own water treatment facility.
      Insurance coverage: earth movement coverage isn’t available in Texas as it has been too rare of an event to establish actuarial data for rates. However, the last couple of years we have experience earth quakes which many think are tied to injection wells.

  • June 23, 2014 at 11:21 am
    Robert says:
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    If you don’t like Texas then please Don’t come to this Great Country!

    • June 23, 2014 at 4:55 pm
      txmouthbreatherboogereatertx says:
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      The Teahadist Nation of Texico?

  • June 27, 2014 at 2:34 pm
    ruth says:
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    @KentU – thanks for posting the info about what caused the damage! we have been talking about this in my office and asking all the what if questions.. most of the news articles didn’t give information on what caused it! thanks for sharing your info

    • June 27, 2014 at 2:56 pm
      FFA says:
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      Ruth, not sure any explanation other the Mother Nature doing her thing is necessary. Sounds to me like everything was solid and fine when the home was built. Mother Nature did her thing and now its not. Sometimes people think way too deep for an explanation when the real answer is the most simple. Just my opinion.

      • June 27, 2014 at 3:40 pm
        Agent says:
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        Hey FFA, didn’t you know this was all man’s fault and in particular Texas fault according to the Libs on this site? Nothing ever happens in their states although it is a little funny that people in Iowa build their homes close to rivers and then wonder why their homes flood.

    • June 27, 2014 at 3:45 pm
      KentU says:
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      Yesterday’s weekly edition of The Lakelander newspaper included photos taken last weekend showing the fissure/crack is now over 5 feet wide in some places. The wave action that weakened the limestone could have happened years before there was a lake here – as this house is where the Nolen River emptied into the Brazos River and there is a bend in the original river channel. There is another large section of displaced limestone in one of the creeks closer to the dam. There many houses built close to the limestone cliff edges at this lake and have been there for 30 and 40 years without any problems. However, most of these other houses are a third the size of the house which is the subject of this article. This house was a three story stone house so, I can’t help from thinking that the weight of this house contributed to the problem.

      • June 27, 2014 at 4:44 pm
        Agent says:
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        Thanks for the info KentU. Limestone tends to do that with action of water. Sinkhole problems also exist in many other states and they tend to swallow homes and businesses from time to time. I am not sure an engineer or architect or builder would have known about possible problems before the lake ever existed.

  • June 27, 2014 at 5:17 pm
    FFA says:
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    Well Kent, I am no geologist but I would say that, at the very least, it (the weight) would be a contributing factor.

    In Il, Houses on “Unstable” ground are built on Pillars drilled to bed rock.

    • June 27, 2014 at 5:35 pm
      Agent says:
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      hey FFA, this is a bit off subject, but have you seen the new movie out – Jack Ryan- Shadow Recruit? This is the latest addition to the series of Tom Clancey books. It is really terrific if you like action, spy movies. I had my doubts about Chris Pine playing Ryan, but he did a good job on it. I may get it on Netflix and watch it again.

      Also, have you been following 24 with Jack Bauer? He is doing a number on people including the bad Muslim Terrorist woman who was going to drone attack London. Shot her and then threw her out the window. Oops! She is no threat now.



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