I want to Thank everyone again for the wal-mart cards and letters and cards...I bought household stuff and I also bought school stuff for the displaced children who are now going to school here and I also bought food for the animals who now are homeless.Everthing that I donated was donated by Dave's hoya forum gang.I hope everyone was okay with this.
My home has been gutted and we now sit,there is a battle between the insurance companies and the building permit office,we are caught in this because we had flood insurance.If we fix our home now we will get dropped by our flood insurance,the permit office is telling us the insurance company has to pick up our home eight feet and the insurance company is saying FEMA has to pay for it.There has been so many law suits filed and so much madness that our home is not home and we don't know when it will be fixed.
We had decided to just fix it,thats until we found out about the flood insurance.I can't see losing everything twice and not having insurance.The camper is there and we are waiting for them to hook it up I can't wait til I will be close to my plants again...
Thank you again and again!!!
Happy Growing!
Dianne
OT Just wanted to tell everyone whats going on
So good to hear from you! That sounds like a terrible mess. So what happened to your animals. Did you find a shelter to hold onto them. I would be absolutely devastated. Such a strong woman you must be. I'm glad to hear you put your giftcard to good use. I'm sure your plants can't wait until you return.
Heather
Bless your heart, Diane! What a self less act to donate your gift to those with less fortune than you. You are a true Hero in my book!
I am so sorry to hear you are getting the run around between FEMA and the Insurance company. That is flat out wrong!
Please do let us know when you are ready to start collecting new plants as I believe you have some in the Daves Hoya bank!
Take care and thanks for checking in!
Diane, I used to work for FEMA as an analyst. Is there anything I could help you understand more clearly?
Essentially, Federally-declared disasters are covered via tax-dollars routed through FEMA, which you understand. The Federal laws (Stafford Act laws) state that any home owner or renter who has damaged property from a federal disaster with insurance must file with their insurance companies first (laws state that FEMA is unable to duplicate benefits for insured disaster victims). So, for you, the first step is to file w/ your insurance company since you have filed with FEMA and have an application now. If you have flood insurance, you file there, too. With NFIP, using your flood insurance to file a claim will NOT cancel your insurance policy....that would be unlawful. The NFIP is actually flood insurance that came about through FEMA and allows people to continue to reside in flood-zones.
I am certain that the cause of damage is probably all flood, although some of the homes may also use the COD=rain, wind, wind-driven rain. Possibly, there is also ongoing damage due to mold/mildew. This is important because the flood insurance will only cover flood related damages. The rain or wind damages due to the hurricane will be covered through your insurance company. And a basic home owner's insurance policy does cover Wind and Rain, these are not exclusions.
Is your home destroyed? Has your home been inspected by FEMA? If so, do you have a one-line-item stating "Destroyed" on the findings of the FEMA inspector? If your home is destroyed and any of the damages are not covered by your insurance company (for whatever reason), FEMA will then cover the damages up to their maximum allotted. But first, you must file with your insurance company and then provide FEMA with the settlement so that they know where to apply possible assistance benefits to your particular case.
Most people don't understand the way FEMA works because FEMA isn't in the business of educating people about how FEMA awards benefits. Essentially, FEMA provides disaster assistance funds to those people who do not have insurance or are not covered by insurance. In your case, FEMA will be the last-place for possible funding because you must go through your insurance companies first. (IMHO, it's a lousy way to treat responsible tax-paying home-owners, but I don't run the government....)
There is a time to 'appeal' your case and that time is very closely watched by FEMA because they want disaster-cases to be closed ASAP. I believe the amount of time that you have to file an "appeal" after your insurance company pays or denies your claim is just 60 days.
If you are disgusted with FEMA and how your case has been handled, contact your Congressman. They will work on behalf of you (with your written permission), do a formal inquiry, and BELIEVE ME....FEMA will all-of-a-sudden put priority onto your case.
If you have other questions or concerns, I'll try and help you if I can. Don't allow the insurance company to bully you or pawn you off to FEMA. You are a paying customer and your insurance company should pay for the damages on items that your insurance protects you with.
Best wishes to you through your disaster-related hardships,
Lynn
Diane,
So glad that you checked in, you have been on my mind lately. Sounds like things are still a mess, hang in there girl. I agree with Mel, what a self less act to donate to others when you yourself are in need.
You are in my prayers.
Tami
Diane,
It is good to hear from you. I have been wondering how you are doing. Sounds like Lynn is a good resource person for you and can explain the in's and out's of the system.
I hope you can get the camper hooked up soon. At least it is a place of your "own" and you can be close to your plants.
Take care,
Karen
Dianne, yes it is good to see you posting! Please hang in there!
Susan
Heather my dog (Baby Girl) Punkie and P Kitty are still with me the two girls are in foster care.The FEMA trailor has a restriction about pets and I don't know what we will do..Will cross that bridge when I get there..You know guys I don't like coming on here and telling everyone about the troubles in my life because it could be so much worst,So I have been keeping a lot to myself.. Looks like my husband and I are trying to hold so much from eachother that we don't bring up anything about the house...Three houses down from me they fixed it and FEMA came out to inspect it and said it was no good and now they have to level it.The house right next to me the people was renting it and FEMA told them they didn't lose enough in the flood so they will not get any help,Guys they lost everything!!
Lynn I showed your post to my husband and he printed it out..I went to FEMA and have a number and the guy there told me it was very odd we had flood insurance,most people about 90% didn't have it.Our insurance company has settled with us and we fall short about 21,000.00..We found out in our flood policy there a clause if your home has 50% are greater damage you will have to build up..If this is true we are greater and in this clause our insurance company has to pay for our home being picked up 8 feet..Now the insurance company wants the tax asseres office to go out and apraise the home for 91,000.00 and they won't,right now it is at 75,000.00 and our damages are for dwelling is 43,000.00,We are getting a contractor to go out and asset our repairs to see if it is a true cost..I am telling you it's a nightmare..theres mold all over it smelling like we had a bunch of fish in our house the floor needs to be removed..Everyday we read where people who had no damage are getting red cross and FEMA money and food stamps..The good are having to suffer for the bad..Last Saturday my husband called FEMA and told them our insurance has settled and now we are on a waiting list for inspection..
This water was pushed in by wind,the hurricane was over two hours before that south wind started and we got 8 feet in a matter of hours, we saw the water rolling down the road...I hope I never see this again..
I think we are going threw the right way with FEMA you know I don't want to make out like a bandit and I know we will not get back everything all I want is to try and fix what I have and be able to keep my flood insurance..
I am still at my Mother in laws and things are going well but it's not home you know..
My plants that were long and in this water are not doing well I had a huge sliver pink and I am watching it die I cut on it and rinsed the roots and it has done no good..My Aunt gave me sum money and told me get you a couple of hoya's so I ordered from Carol...When I got them in you swear it was Christmas..
I keep thinking back when Katrina hit and saying I don't know what I would do if I ever lose my house..Not knowing three weeks later it would happen to me...All anyone can do is move forward..
Dianne
Hi Diane,
I am glad you have gotten some hoyas. It can help bring a little sense of normal back to your life, especially the hoya and plant addict that you are. Sometimes it is the little joys that help keep you going.
Please be careful when you are around areas that have been flooded because there is no telling what is in the soil or debri. I doubt that the EPA is giving an accurate picture and what standards they are using when they declare it is safe to go back into an area.
Please take care,
Karen
Dianne - you remain in my prayers! Karen
Diane, First, I am relieved to hear from you. Second, it is fantastic that you have received an initial settlement from your insurance company. This means that you can move forward.....
I believe that I would challenge the insurance settlement because it sounds much too low. The bottom line with these insurance companies is that they want to be profitable (you know, make money!). When there is a disaster and the Feds are there to help assist disaster victims, the insurance companies try to push alot of the financial burden onto FEMA. Unfortunately, it doesn't work to the benefit of the disaster victims who have insurance.
You and your husband will need to fight for yourselves and push the issues hard. Call and write to plead your case!! This means that you need to write a letter to both of your insurance companies and tell them that you do not agree with the settlement that you received. If you have repair/replacement estimates, include them....they are important to prove your situation. Be specific and tell the insurance companies that your settlement is too low to repair your home to the condition it was in prior to the disaster. I'm unsure what your insurance policy covers, but check to see if your policy is for REPLACEMENT.
For a FEMA representative to try and excuse the situation by saying that almost no one has flood insurance does not remove them from responsibility. They should be acting on the fact that you and your husband DO carry flood insurance. Since you have flood insurance, please be sure to file with them because you should receive benefits through the NFIP (this is a Federal insurance program for people who live in flood zones).
If or when you and your insurance companies disagree and you believe that you are being wronged, contact your state's insurance fraud corporation. You can call the FEMA hotline and a rep will give you the telephone numbers if you can't find them. Make written complaints if need be. And, as I said before, request Congressional assistance for your case.
About FEMA:
Since you have received an initial settlement from your insurance company, send a copy of the entire settlement to FEMA. Be sure to put your application # on the documents that you send to FEMA. This will put you into the "appeal" category so that you will receive an inspection from FEMA. The problem with FEMA, however, is that your insurance settlement has exceeded the maximum award for real property (your home) that FEMA will provide to disaster victims. The max award is $5,000 and if a home is in the "destroyed" category, it will be $10,000. Since you have already received about $21,000, you will need to receive the remaining benefits from the other program that FEMA is involved with. This program will provide awards for losses of personal property items (this includes clothing, furniture in the main rooms, appliances that are necessary, etc). When your home is inspected, be sure to make every attempt to SHOW and/or PROVE that you had destroyed clothing, furniture, A/C, furnace, and appliances. If you do have appliances still in the home and they're non-operational, do not haul them out until you have had FEMA see that you owned them and they're broken. FEMA will tell you to get rid of this stuff, but when the burden of proof falls on you, all that you can use to prove ownership of personal property is the stuff that is destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
When you mention that your local zoning is now requesting that your home be elevated 8-feet high, you are talking about "mitigation". That is a fancy word for "future prevention of disaster-related damages". When a city, state, or Federal agency deems it to be manditory to re-structure your home, they will have to provide funding for the majority of people who are unable to afford these 'preventive measures'. Contact FEMA and also your Local Emergency Management agency and ask what funding is available for the mitigation that you are being forced to comply with. Normally, FEMA does not award disaster victims any mitigation funding, but Hurr. Katrina was an enormous disaster and each disaster can have specific-funding allocated for things like mitigation.
Since your insurance company is being forced to bear the financial burden of the 8-foot elevation to your home, they are essentially stalling a payout by asking for an increased assessment of your home. They are probably going to try to squirm out of their legal obligation to you and your husband by NOT receiving that assessment value, so it is up to you two to inquire WHERE YOUR POLICY STATES THIS IN WRITING. Ask them where the magic-number of $91,000 is coming from. In other words, CHALLENGE THEM.
Be very careful of the mold growing in your home. Mold is from moisture and it wicks. If it has gotten into your drywall, it may have already wicked into your wooden studs behind the walls. It must all be removed or it will continue to slowly spread. Mold is a toxin and will make you very ill. Try to ventilate and not breathe the mold.
FEMA has alot of info at their website at fema.gov but they're not very forthcoming with the basic facts about their benefits or awards.
Hope this helps,
Lynn
Lynn we took pictures of everything,they have removed it and the house before it was gutted and now,We have been waiting for FEMA but I thought they were waiting on our insurance. Now where the insurance comes in we max'ed out the flood, if we would have had the homeowners involved we would'nt have max'ed it out but they are calling it a flood but it's proven it was wind driven water!!! Now thats where the law suits come in, I know the way the courts are it will take years,and it will turn in home owners favor but I can't see sitting in a trailor for years while my home turns to nothing..We have been wearing mask and the house is getting sprayed almost everyday for mold..
There is no way our home is worth 91,000.00,the insurance is trying to cover there butt's..Bryan's sister works in the DA's office she has pretty good pull in town and she has been telling
us about the meetings about this matter and also how our parish goverment is not treating FEMA right where insurance company are cocerned..it will be a long battle.Thank you for your help and we are letting FEMA know everything thats going on,I just can't wait til they come out. You know theres just too much damage..
Bryan is calling our agent today to ask about the 91,000.00 and also ask him when do they plan on raising the house!!! this should be intresting.....Have a great week-end everyone!
I was told today no more putting off you gotta buy a washer and dryer!!!
Dianne
It almost sounds as if the RECOVERY is as bad as the Hurricane...the longer things (houses) sit around with mold and stuff, the more damage that won't be covered!!! I think of you alot and all that you all are going thru. Careful with those chemicals....nasty stuff.
Carol