Home Owners Insurance? We have a problem.

UPDATE!~ We found out what it was. It was a box made from heating duct material. There are no ducts in our house, there is never been. Since we were warned that the people who lived here as renters a few years ago were arrested for growing and selling pot and the house had to be remodeled after they were kicked out. We're thinking someone didn't think to fix the random metal stash box, but instead nailed some ends of wood together to frame the inside of the box and carpeted over it. Our bed frame was directly on the box so the pressure of us on the bed was breaking through the ceiling.

















We noticed a slight bulge in the plaster on the ceiling in the living room a couple of weeks ago and best we could figure, we had missed seeing it when we were so excited about home owning and moving in... even though I was certain there was nothing wrong.
Right before we left for our trip 6 days ago, I thought I saw a crack on the edge of the bulge, but I couldn't be for sure.
This morning I came downstairs for my cup of coffee and while chatting to my mom I noticed that the bulge must have indeed had a crack... because it was now busted open and a chunk was hanging free.


This spot is about the size of my hand and directly under my bed upstairs. It's not on the supporting wall, it's not wet, it's not been touched so I was mystified as to what could have caused buckling of this magnitude.






I told Mike about it immediately... I guess I was hoping for a miracle and he would simply say " OH, no problem! I know exactly how to fix that, it won't cost a penny and it'll be done in an hour."
I never said it was an intelligent hope, I just wanted it to be true. Instead, while we examined it closer we noticed a piece of wood coming through the hole. This house has had extensive remodeling in a somewhat .... unprofessional fashion. This board that didn't appear to be attached to anything suddenly poking through the ceiling under my bed worried me a tad.
So what did we do? We pulled it out. It was penny-nailed to another board. Which was also penny-nailed to a third board. All had shiny, pretty finishes on them and were attached to nothing but each other. They came out of a hole that is lined with metal and the mottled sponge-rubber carpet lining is clearly visible.





Two of the boards came out, obviously having bent the soft little nails out of a right angle into a flat plane to do so. (they bent like warm butter)
The third dropped off inside the ceiling/floor somewhere and is no longer within reach, but here's the first one. The hole is just above Mike's green leather recliner so that is where it landed for the picture. He's not a happy homeowner.




I have never dealt with this problem before, not as a renter and definitely not as a home owner so I am a little unclear on the progression of event from here. I suggested we call the insurance company and I was told "tomorrow we'll call". I don't know how that'll work since it will be a Sunday, I just know I'm freaked out by BOARDS in between the floors of my house coming free. WTH went on during that remodel?