Fire victims’ GoFundMe money is missing
When an electrical fire destroyed the home of the Micol family just before Thanksgiving Day, they were grateful to have saved their lives.
Damien Micol, his wife, Allison, and two sons, Noah, 6, and Ryder, 5, were awakened in the early morning by the fire which left their mobile home in Plymouth uninhabitable and destroyed all their possessions and even legal documents. The devastation prompted a neighbor to start a GoFundMe account for the family which raised more than $6,000 to help them. The Micols received about $1,000 of those donations and the rest apparently remains in the possession of the person who created the account.
The couple attempted to file a police report with Plymouth Township police but were told it is a civil matter. The family has also contacted GoFundMe in an attempt to find some help in what has been an extremely difficult situation. The family is staying with family members and hoping to either see some of the funds donated or have those gifts returned to those who attempted to help them.
“It really, really hurts,” Micol, who is without a job now, said. His parents have now established a new GoFundMe account to try and help the family.
A response to the Micol's complaints was recently issued to the media by GoFundMe officials.”We take all complaints seriously and I can confirm that our Trust & Safety team is investigating. They've reached out to the organizer for more information to ensure funds got to the right place,” the service said in a written communication. “In the meantime, if donors who contributed to this GoFundMe fundraiser would like to request a refund in the meantime, we will process it for them.”
