Do You Have Sandy Damage?

[Pinkie]

Did you lose power at home or work because of Sandy? Did you suffer wind or water damage?

What should you do?

* Stay safe. Some areas that have always been safe may be less so, as street crime spikes after a disaster. Streets may have damage you aren't aware of, so don't drive through flooded areas. Don't return to quarantined areas or insist on entering a structure that has been or may be condemned.

* Guard your health. If you are out of your home in a hotel, etc., you're coming into contact with many more people, for much longer periods, than usual. Take precautions to keep your food, water and habitat clean and take some extra vitamin C. You are surrounded by people under enormous stress and living in the aftermath of a disaster, so try and stay ahead of your own stress curve and if you begin to experience irritability, sleeplessness, anxiety, etc. to a degree that interferes with functioning, seek help. This is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, and it's not always possible to predict who will be most affected by a disaster.

* Don't sign anything from FEMA, an insurance adjuster, a general contractor, etc. until you have a chance to read it, reflect on it (preferably at least overnight) and possibly, get some expert advice. If you take an insurance check and turn it over to a contractor who then disappears, you are SOL. Disasters attract fraudsters like flies on you-know-what.

* Make a family-and-friends circle with people you can rely on, and check in once or twice a week -- or more often, if you are in dire straits. You can use facebook or a Google blog or dozens of other internet sites to do this. These people can help if you get stranded, your kids need a ride to the doctor, etc. and you will feel less anxious if you know everyone you care about in the area is doing okay.

* With your insurance company as well as FEMA, don't sign a settlement agreement until you've had a chance to do some research and possibly spoken to an attorney. Some items you may be able to collect on are alternative living expense, salary (less unemployment benefits), spoiled food, business interruption, environmental damage, vehicle damage, cleaning expense, mental health injuries, etc. Once you have signed a settlement agreement, you usually won't be able to collect on hidden damage you only discover later. (Some expenses, such as alternative living expenses, are typically paid in advance of a global settlement of your claim).

* Protect your claim. If your property was flooded, that structure will have mold, which can be toxic. There may be electrical, structural, HVAC, septic system, etc. type damage -- so an adjuster who spends an hour in your property most likely has not had time to assess all of this. Your state's Department of Insurance should have some terrific information and advice, and you can find the Consumer Information Bureau for your state via this link:

https://eapps.naic.org/cis/

I am very sad for anyone who has to go through this, and I hope this thread provides some useful advice for anyone affected.

Please add whatever ideas you may have, folks, and donate cash to the relief fund if at all possible. This link will take you to the American Red Cross's New Jersey Disaster Relief Fund donation link:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

There isn't much I can add to the excellent information that Pinkie provided except from a health standpoint:

Make sure you take care of yourself... especially the little things. Get enough to eat. Sleep as consistently as you can. Any opportunity you can to find warmth, do so.

Try to stay on a routine. Routines are helpful to ground us... they allow us to not have plan each and every event. Even if your routine is now very different from what it was, try to create one and stick to it. When possible, get back to your old routine as quickly as you can. It will help to create a sense of normalcy.

Be aware of "suvivor's" guilt. I know that when I got power back, I felt bad... because many friends did not. It's OK to have things work out OK for yourself... and it's also OK to help out those who are less fortunate. Do what you can to help, but do so within your own comfort level. Don't overdo it.

Try to take things step by step. Something that I often say... "if you are climbing a staircase, and you are only focusing on the landing ahead, you may miss a step, trip and fall. Focus on the step in front of you." One thing at a time.

Try to avoid people who only talk about how "horrible things are" or "this is the end of the world" or things like that. Situations like this will naturally create anxiety. People who are focused on speaking in negative, catastrophic ways will increase that anxiety. Being stuck in catastrophizing accomplishes nothing.

Within reason, do not deprive yourself of rewards. Unless the storm caused enough problems to prevent it, if you were going to "treat" yourself or your family to something, do it. The unnecessary deprivation of things will just increase the negativity and the feelings of loss around things.

Be aware that tensions are high and give both yourself and others a bit of a break if irritability seems excessive.

Donating your money is great. Donating your time is much better.

Remember to say "thank you".

That's all I can think of, right now. If I come up with more, I'll post it.

 

[Pinkie]

Federal disaster relief can be found here:

DisasterAssistance.gov - Home

Additionally, there are state and local resources, and charitable ones -- probably most focused on providing the necessities of life, especially housing. Also, Holiday Inn offers discounts, with certain promotion codes. Here's the link:

Holiday Inn Promo Codes: Coupon Codes, Coupons, Discounts for Holiday Inn Hotels

Other hotels may be doing so as well, and even if not, it never hurts to ask. If they won't drop their price, ask for an upgrade -- a business suite is far more comfortable for a lengthy stay than a single room.

As for repairs to your home: I'd get a home inspector licensed in your state to provide you with a damage estimate, if possible. When you have repairs made, use a general contractor who is contractually obligated to pull permits, get inspections and use licensed subcontractors where necessary (or if you simply want the extra assurance). Talk to your local housing code enforcement office for referrals, or ask a trusted real estate agent.

Don't rush the repair process -- even the finest contractor may experience labor, equipment or materials shortages, and will likely be working on several homes at once. You want a home that is safe and still has its resalability when this is done.

Lastly, look for your property insurance rates to skyrocket, and talk with your agent. These new rates may offer discounts for hurricane-proof construction, and you'll need every dime you can get. If you are placed in a wind plan (a state pool for insuring against wind damage, so that all the homeowners' insurance companies can legally exclude that risk), don't pass on that coverage. You may lose your basic homeowners' insurance if you do, and clearly, wind is a huge risk.

Lastly, if you don't have flood insurance, buy it. This is usually inexpensive and no homeowners' insurance policy in the US covers the risk of flood. If your home is damaged now, make sure you disclose that on the application -- you might be denied coverage until the repairs are completed.

 

[MaggieD]

I would be scared to DEATH to give a general contractor one dime up front. There will be an influx of cheaters, liars and thieves into these areas whose main purpose is to fleece the homeowner. If I could? And I'm not sure if one can, I would have my insurance company hire the contractors and pay them.

Your insurance company has a fiduciary responsibility to YOU. If your insurance company hires a contractor who screws up, steals money and runs, your insurance company will have to absorb the loss. If you take a check from your insurance company, any loss through theft or nonperformance is on you.

I know one can shift responsibility to an automobile insurance company. I've done it. I would do everything in my power to do the same thing with a major loss on my home.

Remember this: When you hire a contractor to repair your home, everybody down the line has "mechanics' lien" privileges. Nightmare scenerio: You hire a contractor to repair structural damage to the roof and put on a new roof. That contractor may hire three or four subcontractors behind him. *You have carpenters repairing the structural damage.*You have electricians repairing electrical problems.*You have roofers putting on shingles. If YOUR general contractor collects money from you for those jobs and doesn't pay the subcontractors, those subcontractors can put a lien on your home for the work they've done.

Here's some good information about the "Release of Lien" form (state of California). They're all similar. Get legal advice before you hand over more than you want to lose to a general contractor.

http://www.sjhousing.org/program/homerepair/lien.pdf

 

[Tigger]

Pinkie, where do I go to put in my claim for the lost free time related to the 80+ hours I worked last week trying to get people's power back on? ;-p

 

[Pinkie]

Pinkie, where do I go to put in my claim for the lost free time related to the 80+ hours I worked last week trying to get people's power back on? ;-p

How did you do this, Tigger? If you were in the field, working on equipment, surely you were someone's employee or independent contractor?

 

[MaggieD]

How did you do this, Tigger? If you were in the field, working on equipment, surely you were someone's employee or independent contractor?

Lost "free time."

Talk to your union, Tigger.

 

[Pinkie]

I would be scared to DEATH to give a general contractor one dime up front. There will be an influx of cheaters, liars and thieves into these areas whose main purpose is to fleece the homeowner. If I could? And I'm not sure if one can, I would have my insurance company hire the contractors and pay them.

Your insurance company has a fiduciary responsibility to YOU. If your insurance company hires a contractor who screws up, steals money and runs, your insurance company will have to absorb the loss. If you take a check from your insurance company, any loss through theft or nonperformance is on you.

I know one can shift responsibility to an automobile insurance company. I've done it. I would do everything in my power to do the same thing with a major loss on my home.

Remember this: When you hire a contractor to repair your home, everybody down the line has "mechanics' lien" privileges. Nightmare scenerio: You hire a contractor to repair structural damage to the roof and put on a new roof. That contractor may hire three or four subcontractors behind him. *You have carpenters repairing the structural damage.*You have electricians repairing electrical problems.*You have roofers putting on shingles. If YOUR general contractor collects money from you for those jobs and doesn't pay the subcontractors, those subcontractors can put a lien on your home for the work they've done.

Here's some good information about the "Release of Lien" form (state of California). They're all similar. Get legal advice before you hand over more than you want to lose to a general contractor.

http://www.sjhousing.org/program/homerepair/lien.pdf

After a disaster, it is not unusual to see out-of-state insurance adjusters and general contractors granted emergency licenses to do business in your state. This is necessary and not everyone with such a license is a crook -- nor is everyone who holds a regular state license trustworthy. It should be obvious, but I'll say it anyway -- don't hire anyone who is completely unlicensed, and always check the background of any licensed person you do hire.

I agree with Mags -- move the duty to repair onto the insurance company, if you can. The trouble is, all the insurance companies know this and will refuse to cooperate and FEMA won't even consider it.

I don't agree with withholding all payment until the job is completed -- if you take that attitude, you likely won't be repaired for a very long time. But the initial payments are for materials (so the theory goes) and the GC handles those purchases because he has tradesman discounts the rest of us cannot access. You should expect to release funds in 25% units, and I would set down in writing the benchmarks that must be met before each portion of funds are released.

Last but not least, offer to pay for a performance bond for your GC as part of the overall contract -- these are not outrageously expensive, and would give you some insurance against shoddy work or embezzlement.

 

[Tigger]

How did you do this, Tigger? If you were in the field, working on equipment, surely you were someone's employee or independent contractor?

Actually, I spent half a day on the Sunday before the storm in the office, part of Monday morning, then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights (overnights) in the office printing maps and helping to make damage assessment and linework packages up for the crews. Only 3 hours of that work ended up being inside my "normal" weekly working hours. I do get paid (fairly well) for the time I worked, but in the end I'd almost rather have the free time (which I value much more than my OT rate). I understand it's part of this job, and always has been; but it still sucks.

To add to this fine mess, now that I'm finally starting to get back on a regular schedule with my body, it looks like we're getting called in for this next Nor'Easter as well. There's a fairly good likelihood that I'm going to have to go out of town for it, whereas I was able to work the last one at my local office.

 

[Pinkie]

Actually, I spent half a day on the Sunday before the storm in the office, part of Monday morning, then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights (overnights) in the office printing maps and helping to make damage assessment and linework packages up for the crews. Only 3 hours of that work ended up being inside my "normal" weekly working hours. I do get paid (fairly well) for the time I worked, but in the end I'd almost rather have the free time (which I value much more than my OT rate). I understand it's part of this job, and always has been; but it still sucks.

To add to this fine mess, now that I'm finally starting to get back on a regular schedule with my body, it looks like we're getting called in for this next Nor'Easter as well. There's a fairly good likelihood that I'm going to have to go out of town for it, whereas I was able to work the last one at my local office.

You work with a utility company, Tigger?

What a stressful job that must be right now -- please look after yourself, k?

 

[Tigger]

You work with a utility company, Tigger?

What a stressful job that must be right now -- please look after yourself, k?

Yes, I do. I work for the third largest Gas/Electric Utility Company in the United States. If it hadn't been for a car accident a week and a half ago, I would have gone from my normal work location here in MA to Long Island on Sunday morning. I am going to have to start traveling about an hour - 75 minutes each way to my new assigned work location for this next storm as of Thursday morning. It's an office I've never been to before. Not looking forward to it at all.

 

[Pinkie]

Yes, I do. I work for the third largest Gas/Electric Utility Company in the United States. If it hadn't been for a car accident a week and a half ago, I would have gone from my normal work location here in MA to Long Island on Sunday morning. I am going to have to start traveling about an hour - 75 minutes each way to my new assigned work location for this next storm as of Thursday morning. It's an office I've never been to before. Not looking forward to it at all.

I can only imagine! At least let me thank you for your work during this terrible time.

 

[Tigger]

I can only imagine! At least let me thank you for your work during this terrible time.

You're welcome, but the folks you should really be thanking are the ones out there in the bucket trucks, the meter services vans, and the Substation O&M vehicles. They're the ones who really do the work. I'm just part of the Operations Support staff.