“Yes, how terrible of those contractors (many of whom have lost/suffered damage to their own possessions and homes) to want to get paid for the work they are doing. They should be willing to provide labor and materials for free.”
My point was that people who are dependent on FEMA or their insurance company can’t get the ball rolling until check comes from their insurance company versus those who don’t have to wait for funding of any sort. I said nothing about contractors working for free. Who in their right mind would expect that?
Well, of course if you are able to pay for something, it is easier for you to get it than if you can’t. Most people providing the services need the money as much as everyone else does. If people feel guilty about being able to afford reconstruction of their homes, they are free to donate their time and money to the massive numbers of charities that are dedicated to help in these disasters.
Do people need a check from their insurance company to start the ball rolling? I have had a number of insurance losses on condos and I’ve never had to give people money upfront. Did your mother have to pay before they started work? I had a loss two months ago, and the contractor still hasn’t even asked for a cent.
Most people with limited resources can’t go ahead to engage contractors when they don’t know how much money they are going to get from FEMA and/or how much their insurance company is going to pay out or if they will pay anything at all.
There were many people after Katrina who didn’t get anything from insurance companies because of wind vs water damage. It’s happening now in Texas.
As the wife of a builder I get @emilybee’s point about resources. In a widespread disaster like this builders will have very long backlogs so the people who will get attention first will be those who can pay top dollar, the same people who have the resources to stay in a second home or a comfortable hotel while their home is being repaired. These won’t even necessarily be the people with the worst damage, just the people with connections who can write a check the quickest.
I also worry about people being taken in by storm chasing building crews. Some crews that move into an area in the wake of a natural disaster are legitimate but some take advantage of people at their most vulnerable, for instance by putting on a roof that looks good but won’t withstand the first hard rain. When people have no other way to get the work done they’re more likely to fall for the first guy with a ladder truck willing to start the job tomorrow for a fistful of cash.
I have only had that happen when we were looking for remodels. Never for an insurance claim. I would not even consider giving a contractor the insurance check before they completed the work. That would be a scam.
However, for our multiple water loss claims, we have gotten an adjuster out to give us an estimate for the damage, and have gotten the insurance company to agree that it is a covered loss, and the amount they agreed to pay always matched the adjusters estimate. That has always been enough for the contractor to begin work.
Though I can see where the insurance company or FEMA has not agreed that it is a covered claim, and if the homeowner is unwilling to guarantee payment, a contractor would not be willing to start work unless they know they will get paid. Hopefully the insurers are going at full force and not trying to scam homeowners out of insurance coverage. Nevertheless, whether people know they are going to be covered or not, they have to do whatever they need to in order to dry out their homes before the mold starts.
Under ordinary circumstances, maybe your contractors know there’s a good history. Maybe they only ask for x% deposit. These are not ordinary circumstances, not at all.
A chunk of this, as Emily and Sue say, has to do with some discretion. Emily’s mom can get started and duke it out with the insurer, as she goes. I’d guess anyone with rental properties may face emergency repair needs, but isn’t wondering where even 1k will come from. And, while looking for a place to live, food, maybe without their job.
What is sad to me, is that I think there are going to be many elderly people taken in by this sort of scam. I believe there are many people who can’t understand the process, and what is happening to them, and will lose their resources to people who will either do shoddy work, or nothing at all.
Well, the hotel where the meeting was supposed to be got battered a bit, so canceling our travel to the cancelled meeting was the right thing to do. We weren’t going to Tampa or any place that had been mostly spared. Feel free to flame me for not supporting FL, but I am also in need of a break. If the airline is issuing free cancellations, it tells you something.
@doschicos I’ve been looking into some different ways to help the BVI as that is one of my favorite places. Two places that look good for donations are DiveBVI and Fly BVI. Dive BVI is collecting donations (from an Amazon wish list) and cash and they are delivering directly to people on Virgin Gorda. Fly BVI is flying charter flights from BVI to San Juan on a pay what you can basis. They need donations to cover the cost of the flights for the evacuees. All of the information is on the Dive BVI Facebook page.
Haven’t looked at USVI options too much yet. We have friends who live there so we may just try to send supplies directly to them.
8 dead… that is so sad. I suspect it is not the final number, unfortunately. Emergency preparedness has to be on the list of “must ask” questions when looking for a place for your loved ones.
@BunsenBurner No one is “flaming” you. Just point out another perspective and the importance of tourist dollars to the FL economy and jobs. That is all.
@momtogkc Thanks for the info. I’ve done some of the Amazon wish list stuff, too as well as some “adopt a family” stuff that is being arranged by folks with local contacts to the islands. Just feel the need to do “something”. It’ll be a long process so I’m sure opportunities will present themselves. It seems like some relief is starting to happen and more control re: safety/security issues so the news coming out is becoming more positive. It’ll be a long process for sure.
There will be a time to support the places that have been affected. I don’t know if that time is now, as far as tourism goes. It probably depends upon how badly the area was hit. But if I wasn’t dying to go on the trip, I sure wouldn’t keep on going, particularly if I was getting a refund. If I’d requested vacation a year prior, had a bunch of non-refundable reservations and the area was asking for tourists to keep coming, I’d go. Situation dependent.
S just texted an hour ago and said they are getting on the road to begin first leg of their return to WPB. Neighbors had let them know on Monday that their house was fine, but there was no power. Neighbor let them know a few hours ago that power was back on. Just hope that granddaughter doesn’t decide to make an appearance until they can make their way back home
@2VU0609 Good luck to your son and DIL in getting back and congratulations on a new granddaughter! @jym626 , Hope all is well in SF and with a new grandchild.
