The Restoration Pillar Newsletter
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With the recent heavy storms in the Arvada and west Denver areas, we decided to cover two possible scenarios—the requesting of FEMA’s assistance and/or if your tree is blown over causing property damage. We hope you find them enlightening. Warmest Wishes, |
| Issa Ashour President |
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Frequently Asked Questions About
Disaster Assistance
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Below are some answers that may help clarify common misconceptions about disaster assistance available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Is registering with FEMA for disaster assistance complicated?
No. Registering is free, can be done on the Internet or by phone and takes about 20 minutes. Registrations can be completed online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 1-800-621-FEMA (3362), or TTY 800-462-7585. Representatives are available 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, seven days a week until further notice. Multilingual operators are available.
Do I have to register with FEMA if I'm already registered with agencies such as the state, American Red Cross (ARC) or local county emergency manager?
Yes. Registering with ARC or other organizations and agencies is different than registering for FEMA assistance. In order to be considered for assistance you must register with FEMA directly.
If I have insurance, can I still apply for FEMA assistance to help pay for losses my insurance doesn't cover?...
My Tree Fell on My Neighbor's Porch
Whose Home Insurance
Covers the Damage?
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Sometimes, a tree falls in a forest and someone does hear it. Or, it falls onto your neighbor's property and damages something. When that happens, their homeowners insurance company will be the one to hear about it.
Dr. Robert Hartwig, President of the Insurance Information Institute (III) knows first-hand how homeowners insurance can become involved when one of your trees falls on a neighbor's property.
Whose Insurance Pays?
If one of your trees falls and damages a neighbor's property, "generally speaking, it is your neighbor's insurance policy that is called upon to pay the damage," points out Hartwig. "Since his insurance is being impacted," Hartwig continued, "you probably won't face an insurance premium increase as a result."
However, "your neighbor could come after you to cover his deductible. Matter of fact, when one of my trees fell on my neighbor's fence, it destroyed some of his fence and damaged fruit trees. In the interest of neighborly relations, I voluntarily paid for a new pear tree, so between what the insurer paid and what I paid, he didn't have any out-of-pocket expense," says Hartwig.
The upshot? "My neighbor and I are still on speaking terms, which is a good thing. I paid for the new fruit tree, because I thought it was the right thing to do, although I was not obligated to do that." Hartwig's story underlines the fact that, in general, your neighbor's insurance covers your neighbor's property. However, although you and your insurance company may not legally have to make a payment, it's usually best to maintain good relations with those around you.
Negligence Liability
The major exception to the rule of thumb that...
