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FCAN Blog
Coping with the aftermath of Hurricane IanIan was either a strong Cat 4 or a weak Cat 5 when it hit Lee County. From the perspective of those further north along the coast, that was lucky. Those in the path of Ian didn't fare so well.
You house may be gone with all you owned, or storm surge flooded your area, maybe a tree fell on your roof. So many possible problems, and experts are giving us mixed messages
on the damage: Greater than Andrew, less than Katrina, but you can see from the pics that damage is extensive. That's not to say less of the lives lost, possibly near 100.
First you must make sure your family is safe either in a shelter or with relatives. Once that concern is at least temporarily under control, it is time to turn to recovery of home and property.
We hope you had adequate Wind and Flood coverage. Adequate is enough for you to rebuild and restore your life to what it was before. You'll have to decide whether you want to rebuild in
the same dangerous area. You have some options. But back up: how will you know if you have adequate coverage?
One problem is differentiating between wind and water damage. Unfortunately, you may find your insurer saying you have flood damage when you thought it was wind damage. That has the effect of
making FEMA responsible to pay damages rather than your insurer. If there is sufficient doubt about this issue, you'll have to go to court with the best attorney you can find to try to pry benefits out of your insurer.
(Side note: FCAN and other consumer groups have long advocated for an "All Perils" policy that would cover everything and eliminate the problem. What we see is insurers playing to wear down consumers by delaying
and confusing claims leading to a bad outcome for the desperate consumer. You can only avoid this by getting a hungry, rabid dog, intimidating attorney to convince the insurer you're not someone they want to mess with.)
Second, either you or your insurer hire a company to clean up your property and make everything safe. Reputable companies are available but make sure their contractor license is up to date and legit. Do not sign an AOB - Assignment of Benefits - agreement until
you have read it thoroughly and are confident it is OK. A major problem with these is they sometimes put your contractor in a position to sue your insurer without your knowledge or approval. This is not a good practice, and we suggest avoiding it in most cases. However,
sometimes you can get good educated advice from your contractor which will result in a better repair. Take notes.
Your insurer should always process your claim in a timely manner, answer the phone, and provide helpful advice and resources.
Here is a link to more advice from an ally, United Policyholders. They are national, but they have tailored advice for Ian. Here's a link. One of their first suggestions is to photo or video everything at every stage. Good advice.
Good luck and post any questions in the comments here. Thanks,
Coping with the Aftermath of Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian was a very powerful storm that hit Lee County and carved a path of destruction across the state. Damage estimates run from $40 billion to over $60 billion. Homeowners must navigate legal issues along with their damaged homes and belongings. We have some advice. Read more
Published: 10/12/22
FCAN and Americans for Financial Reform on WSLR-FM
Americans for Financial Reform (AFR) Consumer and Payday Campaigns Manager Candace Archer Ph.D. and Bill Newton, FCAN Deputy Director appear on WLSR's Peace and Justice Report with Tom Walker to discuss predatory lending, the CFPB, and consumer financial reform. Read more
Published: 08/16/22
EasyPay Finance’s Predatory Loans Harm Veterans and Servicemembers
TAB Bank and EasyPay Finance’s Predatory Loans Harm Veterans and Servicemembers
Military service members, veterans, and their families report outrageously high interest rates and deceptive... Read more
Published: 05/27/22
FCAN joins coalition of 400 groups to overturn "Fake Lender" rule
FCAN applauds the House for voting for the Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the OCC’s “fake lender” rule, which allowed predatory lenders to evade state interest rate laws by putting a bank’s name on the paperwork. In a 218-208 bipartisan vote, The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve SJ Res 15, a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) . Now that both chambers of Congress have approved this resolution, we look forward to President Biden signing the bill into law. Read more
Published: 06/29/21
Still time to call DeSantis on PIP repeal
Call Gov. Ron DeSantis today at 1-800-342-3557 Tell him to sign Senate Bill 54 that repeals PIP and replaces it with mandatory BI. Studies show drivers will save about 35% or $350 per year if Gov. DeSantis signs this bill into law. or email DeSantis today, tell him you want to save $350 per year on your auto insurance GovernorRon.Desantis@eog.myflorida.com Read more
Published: 05/27/21
FCAN Hurricane Season Media Guide -- Data, Resources, Interview Opportunities
FCAN Hurricane season data, resources and interview opportunities from the Public Interest Network Read more
Published: 05/27/20
Resilience
Hurricane Resilience
By Bill Newton, FCAN Deputy Director
Resilience means being able to withstand hurricanes. We want resilient homes and resilient cities. But what is it exactly and how do we... Read more
Published: 03/02/20
Strengthen Our Homes
By Bill Newton, deputy director
After the devastation of Hurricane Michael, UF Professor David Prevatt surveyed the damage and wrote a report about the impact on Florida homes. His report said... Read more
Published: 02/05/20
Hurricane Prep With No Money
The Federal Reserve says 4 in 10 adults don’t have $400 for an emergency. If a storm is coming, what do you do? Most pre-storm lists are for people with money. What about those that don’t have the cash to load up at Home Depot? Read more
Published: 06/19/19