Then they should do it with their own money. I have as much achievement as blue origin. I built a rocket and launched it, the rocket didn't make it to orbit or space but that paper towel tube sure did go high. The government should give me a couple of billion dollars for a mission OR nasa should be doing things in house and not contracting with private for profit companies on the tax payers dime.

Either get a new seat or new hardware.

I bet your face was priceless.

Only way to know is to try. Just take it apart and remove the wires from the sensor and connect them together or not depending on the type of switch. Worse case scenario solder the wires back in place.

Here's the deal op. At some point maintenance on the gutters was stopped. cleaning the gutters while making sure they are secure should be done at least yearly. During that time the gutters got filled with junk and was not able to drain properly. Add in a good rain and that detaches the guttering and water gets to where it is not supposed to, and thus the problem you have.

The only real way to know is to take out a small section of your soffit that's damaged and see how far back the damage goes. If it's only the fascia that's damaged I would suggest that you save your self some time, money and effort, and do it your self. On the other hand, if the damage goes back further get a contractor out there.

Edit: make sure to check the boards that are touching the fascia.