I was hit hard by the floods in the Northeast last year. Everything I owned was destroyed by eight feet of raging mud water. Obviously, mud and electronics do not play well together, and the photo to the right was what my desk looked like at the time.

Amid the hassle of salvaging possessions and dealing with organizations like FEMA, I was pleasantly surprised to find that neither Time Warner Cable nor DirecTV charged me for destroyed modems and/or DVRs. In fact, both were kind enough to reconnect my service high on a hill free of charge.

At least one California wildfire victim isn't getting the same treatment, according to a local news report posted to YouTube. Matt and Danelle Azola returned from a cruise to find their Ramona, California, home burned to the ground. When they called to cancel their services, they were told they owed $300 for the receiver -- non-negotiable. The company wouldn't even postpone the bill until the couple was reimbursed by their insurance.

We fired off an e-mail to AT&T public relations to see if there's anything that can be done to cut the couple some slack, and the company told us they're looking into it. We'll post any information we receive, when we receive it.

Update: AT&T has told us they've investigated the incident, and the couple will not have to pay. We've posted their explanation here.