Annie’s Mailbox: Neighbor collects on fake claims

Dear Annie: I reside in a small, semirural town, and most everyone knows their neighbors. Recently, our quiet neighborhood had a very disturbing incident. One of our neighbors, “Louise,” hired a cleaning company, and after they left, Louise called the sheriff. She accused the cleaning people of stealing $20,000 worth of jewelry. I was terribly upset that someone would do such an awful thing.

The other day, I was talking to Louise’s daughter, and she blatantly said her mother reports a jewelry theft every six to eight months so she can collect the insurance. She has photographs of jewelry she has never owned – just borrowed for evaluation. Then the cleaning company usually compensates her for her “loss.” The company, of course, is always bonded and usually pays the money just to hush up the situation.

This is grand theft. This woman collects fraudulently on insurance claims. She drives up our homeowners’ insurance premiums, and on top of that, destroys the reputation of the cleaning service and probably gets the help fired. I think this is appalling. – Disgusted with My Senior Neighbor Lady

Dear Disgusted: We think it’s appalling, too, and we hope her daughter is exaggerating. You also can report Louise to the cleaning company to clear the names of the workers, but we know most neighbors are not willing to stick their noses in quite that far. Rest assured, if Louise does this on a regular basis, the police and her insurance company are onto her scheme, or soon will be.

Dear Annie: I read your column in the China Post. Lately, you’ve been getting lots of complaints from housewives who are fed up with their husbands’ touchy-feely behavior. I’m talking about those men who can’t seem to keep their hands off their wives, even in public. Please allow me to show you the other side.

For several years, I, too, had to put up with a “big bad wolf” husband. He insisted on holding my hand everywhere we went, and when we sat together he would pat my back, stroke my hair or even rest his hand on my leg. I found this annoying, manipulative and controlling. But then something terrible happened to change my way of thinking. I lost him in an automobile accident.

Now today, Annie, here I am telling myself I would give anything just to feel my husband’s touch one more time. To those women who are complaining, all I have to say is, count your blessings. Things could be worse. So as long as he isn’t groping you in embarrassing places, I say you should learn to love your husband’s touch. – Learned Too Late in Taipei

Dear Learned Too Late: Thank you for reminding us what is important. Our condolences on your loss.