Sample letter to AAA

To whom it may concern:

There are certain things about any city that make it special. One of those things in Ann Arbor is what is known as “Johnny’s Speakeasy.”

The home at 2923 Dexter Road in Ann Arbor, owned by John “Johnny” Williams  (Case #DN 786499), succumbed to a fire in September of 2022. Johnny had faithfully paid for a premium AAA insurance policy for thirty years. Johnny has been denied not only prompt payment of his claim, he’s also been denied proper payment. An “offer” made by AAA will cover less than half the cost of rebuilding his home and won’t provide a place for him to live in the meantime.

That same home included a space sacred to the community, which was actually used as a speakeasy in the 1920s. Johnny started a decades-long tradition there, a music performance venue where musicians, local, national, and even international, could play for a very small audience in an intimate setting (similar to The Ark in its early days). Johnny had the foresight to nurture new talent as well as feature established musicians. People such as Grammy-winning Billy Strings played there long before becoming famous. This tradition of great music was enjoyed, promoted, and valued by musicians and music lovers in Ann Arbor, throughout Michigan, and beyond.

It seems unconscionable that AAA would simply collect premiums for decades and not fulfill its end of the agreement.

I would like to think that people at the local AAA office understand the incalculable contribution Johnny has made for decades to the community they too are a part of and argued vehemently to preserve something so important to the community. Perhaps their voices went unheard.

It seems that corporate AAA could easily understand that giving Johnny a proper settlement (a relatively small cost from a corporation of AAA’s size) would result in an incredibly large amount of goodwill to the brand and a good marketing moment. I urge everyone at AAA to not only do the right thing for a loyal customer but to create the opportunity to preserve such an important historical resource that is unique to this community.

Currently, Johnny is unhoused, the Speakeasy is lost to the community, and the burn site remains a perilous eyesore to the neighbors and community. This message reaches new ears every day.

Thank you for your attention.