Sanate passed $50.5 billion Sandy aid bill

[IrishAyes]

The Senate has passed a $50.5 billion Sandy aid bill. Now it needs to go to the president for his signature.

Hopefully this helps the people who were devastated by this event back on their feet again.

[ped579]

Plus the monies that will be going to all the special greed groups that tacked on millions if not billions that were not effected by Sandy...  Makes me sick.

[BigAl13]

not $1 will go to us residential guys who were affected, it will go to political interest groups the have a facade of construction companies to rebuild the " infastructure" damaged by Sandy. Research in any way of your choice how to apply for Sandy relief, you will not find 1 piece of info on how to recieve but you will however see 100's of sites in which to donate. ARC only pays out 10% of all there donations to people who need it the other 90%goes to running there business

[Hotrod]

 

[MJ619]

Honestly I am totally confused and can't figure any of the nonsense out or even navigate thru the lunacy.  I am requesting my tuition money back because my education does not help me at all w/ the so called rules.     My family was very fortunate - no loses - but my friends were less fortunate and it seems like in some cases it will be better to walk away.  Who really knows?

[BigAl13]

Thats what alot of people are contemplating now, In my small town of 1600 homes 100+ are gone and most of them dont know if they will/can rebuild 

[Capt. Carl]

I get a kick out of how people still cant stay in their houses, insurance companies are dragging their feet......but they now tell you that your entire house must come up 10 ft off the ground for their new"code".....at a cost of 30,000 bucks......aid.....my ass!...
My cousin still waiting for any "aid" from that benefit concert for the Highlands Residents back in November.

[wb]

not $1 will go to us residential guys who were affected, it will go to political interest groups the have a facade of construction companies to rebuild the " infastructure" damaged by Sandy. Research in any way of your choice how to apply for Sandy relief, you will not find 1 piece of info on how to recieve but you will however see 100's of sites in which to donate. ARC only pays out 10% of all there donations to people who need it the other 90%goes to running there business

This is why it is better to just "adopt" a needy family. You know 100% of your gift card, or time volunteered, or whatever, goes 100% to work for those affected.

[DJ76]

ARC only pays out 10% of all there donations to people who need it the other 90%goes to running there business

don't even get me started on them.  the crap i saw from them was ridiculous with this apparent hurricane relief. 

As a family we all got together and starting getting all of our clothes and blankets that we no longer needed together. we filled a car with them and family memeber drove down to donate to red cross. They turned us away cause they weren't "new". huh???  meanwhile people are freezing there asses off and have nothing.  Granted they were used BUT it wasn't like we were donating my work jeans with the holes in them.  Family member basically gave them the finger and drove around door to door knocking and telling them to take whatever they needed.  Guess what? They took it.

[BigAl13]

I get a kick out of how people still cant stay in their houses, insurance companies are dragging their feet......but they now tell you that your entire house must come up 10 ft off the ground for their new"code".....at a cost of 30,000 bucks......aid.....my ass!...
My cousin still waiting for any "aid" from that benefit concert for the Highlands Residents back in November.

My new zone is 14' and we have to go 2' above that. Time to buy hiking boots . And as for all of theses benefit concerts, the money raised wont ever reach the hands of the people.
3 months post storm and NJ is still doing the limbo, Louisiana had there money in 10 days .

[Capt. Carl]

Yeah Al....i feel for ya too bro.....i typed that wrong.....i think they have to go 12' up in highlands not 10
 

[overbite]

ARC only pays out 10% of all there donations to people who need it the other 90%goes to running there business

don't even get me started on them.  the crap i saw from them was ridiculous with this apparent hurricane relief.  

As a family we all got together and starting getting all of our clothes and blankets that we no longer needed together. we filled a car with them and family memeber drove down to donate to red cross. They turned us away cause they weren't "new". huh???  meanwhile people are freezing there asses off and have nothing.  Granted they were used BUT it wasn't like we were donating my work jeans with the holes in them.  Family member basically gave them the finger and drove around door to door knocking and telling them to take whatever they needed.  Guess what? They took it.

Can't speak for the red cross on what they accept or not. But I volunteer at The Salvation Army in Hazlet, The building is some what small They Have food if and when available Cleaning supplys same.  NEW clothes, personel items from dipers to tooth brushes. Trucks come almost daily to resupply what they can or have that day,
As far as accepting used clothes and dry goods they do not have the space or enough volunteers to handle them it takes space and time to sort thru it all which Hazlet does not have. But all Donated used clothing and used goods go to their Main Centers In Union and Asbury Park,  Example Union Beach was receiving more used stuff and had no place to store it all They intern were asking no more and trying to donate it to others.
People have big hearts when it comes to donating. Used clothes is one big one. BUT some is unuseable and time spent sorting is wasted. Local Curches do a better job of getting goods to where it will do the most good locally. In The Hazlet location the storys told are unbeivable and hard at times to belive on how they are being treated By all partys that are supposed to be helping, Its not acceptable and those responcible should and will be held accounable.
God Bless Bill

If I may suggest At The njsaltwaterfisherman up coming Dinner That each person bring a food item or items Non perisable to the Event. to be donated to The Salvation Army, Or other local groups known to be helping, local people.

[kayak1]

Its all BS.......we have $105,000.00 in total damage to the house.....That's just to redo the down stair area.

We had 7 GC's come and each one is around the same cost to do the work.

We have had the same Insurance company for over 50 years and have been paying flood the entire time......

They sent half the amount.....The other half they claim we need to take a loan out to pay the balance.....But let's rebuild the board walk for summer.

I just want to go home.......$50.5 Billion
who is getting the money NOT US....

Kayak-1

[IrishAyes]

I really don't understand. If you were insured (including flood insurance) why will they not pay the full amount you were insured for? What is their 'out' with not paying the full amount?

I never did like insurance companies and nothing will change to get me to like them. 

[kayak1]

I have up $250,000.00 of Insurance....They claim that there computers do the math for them and the work needed should only come to half the amount.......I would have been better off if the entire house was washed away 

We see this on TV when it happens in other states.....Well it's New Jersey and I cant get any help....I know I cant be the only one having these problems.

[IrishAyes]

I have no personal experience on this but I do know people who have had damage (not by this particular hurricane) to their residence and they hired a private adjuster. The private adjuster dealt with the insurance company and the insurance company ponied up the claim amount provided by the private adjuster. Perhaps this would work in your case. Something to look into anyway.

Best of luck and hopefully it will all work out for you and all the others who are getting shafted by the insurance companies.

[BigAl13]

I have up $250,000.00 of Insurance....They claim that there computers do the math for them and the work needed should only come to half the amount.......I would have been better off if the entire house was washed away 

We see this on TV when it happens in other states.....Well it's New Jersey and I cant get any help....I know I cant be the only one having these problems.

Same here my home is insured for $253,000, 70 % of the home was damaged and the insurance company is trying to give me $41,000. While my neighbors house is a little smaller and sustained much less damage he got $81,000  .

I have no personal experience on this but I do know people who have had damage (not by this particular hurricane) to their residence and they hired a private adjuster. The private adjuster dealt with the insurance company and the insurance company ponied up the claim amount provided by the private adjuster. Perhaps this would work in your case. Something to look into anyway.

Best of luck and hopefully it will all work out for you and all the others who are getting shafted by the insurance companies.

Thats what Im going through now trying to get the difference paid between there engineers report and mine the differences are night and day.

[kayak1]

Your 100% right.....That's just a little more then what they sent me.

This is going to turn into a major problem where people are just going to start walking away from there homes......

If anyone has NOT had the chance to take a ride over to the beach.......I recommend you take the ride from Seaside up 35 to Mantoloking and see just the amount of damage we are talking about.

But we need to build a boardwalk for the summer and get the beach ready........If we cant rebuild our homes and there is no rentals..... Why ?

Sorry needed to vent
Kayak1

[Reefsquatter]

My mom is in her 70's, my father had passed away a few years back. Her home is on a lagoon (not by her choice but my dads.) it is vintage 60's house so their was no flood insurance. That is not a bad thing.

The storm came and did not get into the house, just the garage and an attached room where the utilities were located. So, she lost the very old heating system, water heater, and our personal stuff in the garage (John Deere tractor, lots and lots of stuff accumulated over the years.) The personal belongings would not have been covered so in all a flood policy would have maybe been worth 7,000.  She didn't spend the thousands of dollars over the years on insurance just to have to fight for the loss. The money saved covered the damage.

We have installed for her a new heating system/ updated to central air (relocated to the attic) and hot heater (raised platform.) all in all under 15 grand and now it is new and upgraded.

Lucky right? Not so fast.

Here is the problem now. Even though the water from this superstorm only made it into the crawl space, and the garage utility room, they are changing the flood maps to v zone, or wave action for her house. She wants to sell it (140 ft of waterfront and 3 bedroom with garage) and move to a retirement village but everything has now changed.

Yes, living on the waterfront was a calculated risk taken by my late father, but what's ahead just doesn't make any sense. The talk is for flood insurance premiums to be astronomical, especially in a v zone. So, here we have a house that in the worst storm ever that only had damage to utilities and items not covered under flood insurance. The utilities have been relocated and if their god forbid was another storm like this one, the flooding would cause damage to personal property only, minus a little garage clean up. Very little risk at all, an insurance companies dream!

We can see that their is no reason for flood insurance premiums to be what they are becoming here. The powers that be will fight it out, the insurance companies will try to recoupe all their losses with inflated premiums all the while my Mom will be stuck with a home that will be a tough sell to anyone needing flood (mortgaged.) They will be told that the house is a wave flood risk and the premiums will be 

So, why everyone is deciding what next, where do we go from here, and how do we appropriate Sandy funds, we will be hearing about how the shore is making a comeback. Restored, Jersey Strong, and all the talk. All the while we know this "relief" will eventually just make it back in the hands of the corporations whose balance sheet needs repair.

Meanwhile, life long residents who took care of their own finances, did not borrow a dime and worked hard for it for what they have, are stuck watching these flood maps come in. Homeowners who lived here, were diligent in finding low risk waterfront. These are the same homeowners who voiced concerns for towns approving houses being built on the marshes, and low tidal areas that always have been prone to flooding. Years and years of paying these towns for the zoning problems they created, for the lawsuits brought by builders who forced towns into situations where they had to cave in. Everyone knows where they stand, you know you are on waterfront and e everyone knows whose house will flood first and whose will never see a drop.. This will never be taken into account when these new blanket flood maps come in. So, for all the homeowners who paid a little more for homes high and dry, that's exactly where you will be left. I just hope for you the rest of you, sitting in homes that are not going to be subject to these new maps and rules, are not at the same point in life my mom is.

[overbite]

Do Not shoot The messanger
been reading and hearing a lot of stories about how Thw insurance Companys are doing Busness in NJ. And every other States.
What I see most Often is when someone says I had my House insured for X amount of dollars and they gave me X amount.
Example, a home owner buys $300.000.00 worth of insurance on his Home. That by no means is what they will pay you. In that case one would but $100.000.000.00 on a home valued at #125.000.00. Lots of luck.
Break it down The Home is valued at $300.000.00  you do not insure it for that amount. The Break down is. The Lot is worth $75.000.00. The foundation is $35.000..00 Market value adjusted  at time of loss $8.000.00 = $118. deducted from $300.000.00 = $182.000.00
Now depending on what coverage you had minus any deductables You may come up on what they will come accross with. There are amny coverages that are avalible each Cost more.
Take your Policy to another Broker or agent have them explain waht you have Not a independent one a dedicated one. let them poit out any reasons why you are getting the amount they are offering. and what you could of had or done.
Who reads the whole Policy. most shop by price for insurance. This not a shoulda coulda woulda opinion . I learned some the hard way and watched a close friend go thru it all when his house was totally lost in a fire.  Along with why they refusd to pay much of his losses.
You could be paying for insurance that will be refused or even VOIDED for many things.
Was your house inspected when you bought the policy by the insurance company. for items and things that would Void or have reason not to Pay. Every case is diffrent and storys variy but most have a common theme. Bill