Homeowner's Insurance at Risk for Hoarding Chicago Couple?

Updated
Hoarding
Hoarding

What's the difference between the Jonas Brothers getting stuck in an elevator for 45 minutes and an elderly couple being trapped under heaps of garbage in their own home for two weeks? One of those scenarios has potential ramifications for homeowner's insurance, while the other causes the hearts of some teen-age girls to skip a beat.

Thelma Gaston, 79, and her husband Jesse, 76, were rescued on Monday from their South Side home, which was filled with enough debris to trap the couple for as long as two weeks. Besides reminding people about the dangers of hoarding, the story serves as a cautionary tale for homeowners whose houses are qualified to be featured on "Clean House" or "Hoarding: Buried Alive."

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