First the skunk. Then the bigger stink.

By the time authorities finally cornered the offender under a porch, it was too late.

[APO]

This is a bizarre story. My sympathies to the family. Why did they have to throw out the appliances? How could a dishwasher or oven or stovetop be impregnated with skunk smell?

[JustWondering]

Why didn't they just hose everything down with tomato juice?

[Sick of this crap]

The sad part is that in Cook County you're told you can't trap wild animals and relocate them, BS! I trap the skunks in my yard and send them to skunk heaven. Washing three stinky dogs at 11 pm isn't fun.

[Lefty]

They should have just burnt the house down!!

[Stan]

This story stinks.

[David J]

The only skunk left is the insurance company. But in one way, this family is lucky. I used to sell homeowners insurance. A skunk could have very easily been clasified as a rodent or vermin. And they would have been SOL. Pending a lawsuit, of course.

[Scott G]

This is not news.

[Adrienne]

I've had a skunk sprayed dog run through my house. Nightmare! I can't imagine it to this level. And that is what they need to do. Level this house. Gosh darn stinker.

[SkunkedBefore]

My wife and I lived in California and a family of skunks apparently lived in the crawlspace below us. One morning we awoke to the most noxious smell/gas. Our throats gagged, eyes watered, stomachs turned; it was unbearable. We got bombed big time, right below our bed.
There's skunk smell, and then there's skunk smell. And this was some major skunk smell. We, too, carried the odor with us for at least 2 weeks. She was sent home from work because it was so offensive. We slept in the garage while the odor dissipated. Air fresheners did nothing, fans blew and blew to no effect. Everyone I talked to about deodorizing our place said the only cure was time, and lo and behold- they were right.
I don't fault the family for reacting the way they did, I surely wanted to tear the whole place down. And I don't know how much patience I would have considering there were children in the house. But I can't help but feel that they may have over-done it a tad. I've been there before; it sucks BIG time, but it goes away. I think there's some unscrupulous people out there who are more than happy to cash in on the less fortunate in these situations. But that's life.
We hired a trapper to catch the little stinkers. Final tally: four skunks, three possums.

[David Marks]

Just goes to show: The insurance company is the real skunk.

[Abbie]

Insurance companies are legalized crooks. We (society) pay our premiums diligently but when we need them, they'll find every loophole to only pay back the bare minimum, if at all. Once you've placed a claim, they'll raise their premiums on you!

I'll be interested to follow this story and wish the family lots of luck.

[Briana]

Seriously, who needs 6.5 bathrooms???

[LaryK]

SkunkedBefore wrote:

My wife and I lived in California and a family of skunks apparently lived in the crawlspace below us. One morning we awoke to the most noxious smell/gas. Our throats gagged, eyes watered, stomachs turned; it was unbearable. We got bombed big time, right below our bed.
There's skunk smell, and then there's skunk smell. And this was some major skunk smell. We, too, carried the odor with us for at least 2 weeks. She was sent home from work because it was so offensive. We slept in the garage while the odor dissipated. Air fresheners did nothing, fans blew and blew to no effect. Everyone I talked to about deodorizing our place said the only cure was time, and lo and behold- they were right.
I don't fault the family for reacting the way they did, I surely wanted to tear the whole place down. And I don't know how much patience I would have considering there were children in the house. But I can't help but feel that they may have over-done it a tad. I've been there before; it sucks BIG time, but it goes away. I think there's some unscrupulous people out there who are more than happy to cash in on the less fortunate in these situations. But that's life.
We hired a trapper to catch the little stinkers. Final tally: four skunks, three possums.

I too had a family of skunks (a mom and 3 babies) who lived under my concrete patio in Mt Prospect. The patio was enclosed with framing to make it a 3 season room. I had the critters trapped and carted away. There were things in the house that had to be thrown away, the carpeting had to be professionaly cleaned along with the furniture. And there was a period of time in which I found things that carried the odor and I had to toss. But the skunks never got into the house and the article about concerning these people doesn't clearly state the skunks got into the house either. I too believe the way in which the was handled, tearing out he walls and stripping the house down to the stud walls was a definite over reaction.

[LaryK]

Scott G wrote:

This is not news.

As a second comment here - I agree. This is not news this is a human interest story but should not be the first story for the Tribune web site.

[charlie d]

HEADLINE NEWS!

[EMD]

I cannot figure out why this family went with a no name insurance company on a $1,000,000.00 home?! While this is supposed to be a human interest story, it is also rather silly in its 'oh look, rish people have problems too, boo hoo' kind of way. Write a story about a low-middle income family in a TWO bedroom ONE bath house worth $200,000.00 having this same problem and not having the disposable cash available to live elsewhere while they fight with their insurance company. Maybe low-middle income families just deal with it and figure out the problem on their own for less?

[Nevada CCW]

Isn't it a crime when people have more money than you? Communism worked so much better.

[perfumer]

I wish they'd called me - I need some musk for a natural perfume I'm concocting.

[ceci]

Hard for me to sympathize, really -- he looks like an investment banker; she a trophy wife. Poetic justice.

[jimboster]

Sick of this crap wrote:

The sad part is that in Cook County you're told you can't trap wild animals and relocate them, BS! I trap the skunks in my yard and send them to skunk heaven. Washing three stinky dogs at 11 pm isn't fun.

Next time, you might hire the Royals' son to wash your dogs. Poor "skunk boy" will probably never be able to find any other kind of work.