Dress Burned In Fire, Business Has No Business Insurance

Hi- location: Pennsylvania, USA

Exactly as said. Took my wedding dress (around 3k) to a tailor (redacted*** Alterations in Clarks Summit) on May 24th. Dropped it off with a paper receipt, but was told that they only take Venmo or cash, and it was operated in a home business.

Unfortunately, they lost my dress in a fire, among many other women. I have reached out to them and they have ignored me, and are seeming to act like there is no record of me. I have my paper receipt, and obviously I dropped off a dress that burned. A dress that meant the world to me, for my wedding in July. I am unsure as to if they have insurance or not, so advice in regards to either is super appreciated. They posted the following on Facebook, and turned comments off:

1.) Dear valued customers, we are writing to share an important update regarding the recent fire incident at our tailor shop.

Regarding your garments, we have been working tirelessly to assess the situation. We have compiled a complete list of all the clothes and receipts that survived the fire undamaged or are currently being restored, cleaned, and repaired to be returned to you in perfect condition.

If your name, receipt number, and phone number appear on this posted list, please be assured that your garment is safe and accounted for.

If you cannot find your name or the details of your clothing on this list, unfortunately, those items were completely lost in the fire. Because the records were destroyed along with the items in the blaze, we do not have any further information about those pieces.

We will notify you to pick up according to your event date.

We understand how distressing this is, and we appreciate your patience and support during this difficult time.

2.) Hi, I know this is a real loss, and I understand some of these pieces meant a great deal to you. The fire affected my home and everything in it, and I’m still working through it. I’ve notified my insurance company and I’m consulting with an attorney to figure out the right way to handle everyone’s situation fairly. I’m not able to discuss payments or amounts right now, I appreciate your patience while I sort this out.

3.) This is the final update. All dresses that were recovered from the fire will be ready for pickup by Monday. Each customer will be contacted individually when their dress is ready to be picked up. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.

How do I go about filing or getting my money back for my dress? I can’t just take this hit. It’s so distressing and while I empathize with the business owner, I am also concerned for myself and other brides who have been left in the dark.