Hurricane Matthew Resources

There are thousands of legitimate, ethical contractors in business around the country. Unfortunately, there are also scam artists looking to cheat you out of your money who pose as legitimate contractors. These “fly-by-night” operators often show up in communities impacted by natural disasters to try to scam distressed home owners into paying for shoddy repairs or work that they will never show up to perform.
Here are some warning signs to look out for:

• Doesn’t have license and insurance. All professional contractors should be insured and able to show their certificate proving such insurance. Although all states do not require licensing, contractors in states requiring licenses should have it and be able to provide a copy.

• Asks you to sign anything before you’ve hired them. If they want you to sign an “estimate” or “authorization” before you’ve made the decision to hire the contractor, look out. They may be trying to get you to sign what is an actual binding contract.

• Doesn’t write contracts. Professionals have clear contracts that outline the job, process, the cost, and helps clarify how problems will be managed. If you don’t have a contract, you are not protected when something goes wrong. Don’t hire anyone who tells you a contract “won’t be necessary.”

• Requires cash or payment in full before starting the job. Shady contractors demand cash and then run with the money. Many home owners have been stranded by paying in full up front. A deposit towards materials is common, but only pay it once you have a contract signed by both you and the contractor. It’s also suspect you’re asked to pay cash to a salesperson instead of a check or money order to a company.

• Vastly underbids all other contractors. They may have the best price, but that doesn’t guarantee the best work. Such contractors may cut costs on quality, which can end up costing you more when you have to have the substandard work redone.

• Offers “special” pricing. If you’re told you’ve been “chosen” as a demonstration project at a special, low price, or you’re told a low price is good only if you sign a contract today.

• Cannot provide customer references. Professional contractors should have current references they can provide from current and past clients — and you should be able to reach those references, not just an answering machine.

• Difficulty contacting the contractor. Professionals have a physical office, mailing address, phone, and email. They should respond to your queries in a timely manner. Make sure you can verify the contractor’s business address. If they only have a p.o. box, be wary.

• Tells you to obtain the building or remodeling permits. Professional contractors go to the county or state offices and get permits for their work themselves. Asking the home owner to do it is a sign that they are not a legitimate contractor.

Your best bet is to take your time, do your research and choose someone you feel completely comfortable with. Georgia requires contractors to be licensed, http://verify.sos.ga.gov/verification/. Make sure they don’t have a record of consumer complaints lodged with your local Better Business Bureau. You can also contact the HBA of Greater Savannah for a list of reputable contractors in the area – www.HomeBuildersOfSavannah.com.

Price gouging is a serious offense and the law enforcement community takes these incidents seriously when predators use the unfortunate circumstances of a hurricane for malfeasance.  DO NOT BE A VICTIM.

Attorney General of Georgia Sam Olens and District Attorney Meg Heap both confirm they will prosecute these offenders jointly.  Anyone convicted of these crimes could be found guilty of a misdemeanor which carries a sentence of up to 12 months in jail.   Additionally, the fines for these offenses can range from $1,000 to $50,000.

Anyone who suspects that they have been solicited by someone attempting to price gouge, should immediately report this to law enforcement.  Please contact your police department at the non-emergency numbers listed below or the District Attorney’s Office also listed below.

If you have been the victim of price gouging, do not hesitate to contact law enforcement.  Your information could protect others from being victims.  Act now!

List of Non-Emergency Numbers

District Attorney’s Office                                            652-7308

Savannah-Chatham Metro Police Department              652-6500

Port Wentworth Police Department                              964-4360

Bloomingdale Police Department                                 748-8302

Thunderbolt Police Department                                   354-3818

Tybee Island Police Department                                  786-5600

Pooler Police Department                                           748-7333

Garden City Police Department                                   966-7777

Hurricane Matthew did not discriminate between community association neighborhoods and non-association neighborhoods. Neither should our nation’s natural disaster response and recovery policy.

On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Tom Skiba, CEO of Community Associations Institute sent a letter to the White Houseasking President Obama to encourage FEMA to interpret their regulations to help all Americans; including community associations. 

As devastated residents head back to their homes, they are faced with the wreckage of the storm; including damaged bridges, tunnels, causeways, and streets. For a resident living in a community association – also known as a homeowners association, condominium or housing cooperative – the recovery efforts can be even more challenging as The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) routinely denies community association requests for federal disaster benefits.  FEMA has developed an arbitrary “public interest” standard and applies other unique, cumbersome requirements that must be satisfied prior to authorizing disaster recovery work to clear roads in community associations and waterways of threats to human health and safety and to prevent additional damage to property.  

While the Stafford Act provides FEMA an expansive toolkit to support state and local government disaster mitigation, planning and response operations, approximately, 16 million Americans will be denied support from FEMA just because they live in a community association. 

FEMA has failed community associations by inconsistently interpreting regulations that prohibit associations from qualifying for funding for federal disaster response and recovery programs.  Community association homeowners pay the same federal taxes and are denied FEMA funding, while those not living in community associations eligible. We encourage you to contact President Obama and ask him to encourage FEMA to interpret their regulations to help all Americans; including community associations. 

Friends and Neighbors,

As Hurricane Matthew response efforts continue, I want to share new information important for you and your community. Please share the information with your family and friends who may find it useful.

Direct Federal Assistance Now Available

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced new federal recovery resources now available to residents and businesses in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, McIntosh, and Wayne counties.

If you live in these counties and suffered loss or damage from Hurricane Matthew, visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov to register for Individual Assistance or call 1-800-621-3362.

We expect additional counties and declarations in the coming days.

Tax Relief

Georgia residents and businesses in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, McIntosh, and Wayne counties will automatically receive a six-month extension for returns or payments due through October 17 as well as other tax relief measures.

Additional counties impacted by the storm may be added pending joint damage assessments currently underway by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMHSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Click here for more information regarding tax relief for individuals and businesses.

Disaster Loan Assistance

Homeowners and renters may be eligible for loans assisting with physical damage to property or possessions through the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loan Assistance.

Counties eligible for Physical Damage and Economic Injury Loans include Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, McIntosh, and Wayne counties.

Those eligible for Economic Injury Loans only include Brantley, Camden, Liberty, Long, and Pierce counties.

For more information and to apply online, please visit https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ or call 1-800-659-2955.

As always, my staff and I are here for you in what ever capacity you may need. Please do not hesitate to contact us.

For more information on resources available to those affected by Hurricane Matthew, visit http://BuddyCarter.house.gov or call my office in Savannah at 912-352-0101.

-Buddy

Some residents have contacted The Landings Association with concerns about who is responsible for fallen trees on private property. If a tree falls on a person’s property, that tree becomes the responsibility of the affected homeowner up to their property line. A good rule of thumb to remember is you are responsible for whatever part of the tree is on your lot, no matter where the tree came from. (See illustration below.) In other words, if the trunk of the tree is on your property and the top of the tree is on your neighbor’s property, they are responsible for the top and you are responsible for the bottom. Likewise, if there is a dangerous tree or limb hanging or leaning over your property, please contact your neighbor directly.  Remember, if you don’t know your neighbor you can look up their contact information in the reverse directory of your 2016 Landings Directory.

Tue, 10/11/2016 – 12:49pm

Dear Landings fellow Residents and Landings Club Members,

As we get back to our homes and assess damage done to our properties, it is likely some residents have experienced tree damage from trees originating on Club or Association property. On behalf of the Boards of our Club and Association, we empathize and have compassion for anyone who has returned to such a situation. However, in the interest of fairness to all who own the community and Club, we are proactively communicating our shared position on this issue.

Typically, in cases involving extreme storm damage, if  a tree falls on a person’s property, that tree becomes the responsibility of the affected homeowner up to their property line. The exposure we all share as owners of the Association and Club is tremendous in a case like this. The damage was not foreseeable and we urge you to contact your insurance company to get guidance on your individual situations.

We stress again that this is sent with great empathy but as stewards of our Community’s and Club’s assets, we must appeal to established legal precedent to guide us.

In addition, there may be trees on Association common property or Club property that you believe represent a potential hazard to your property. Please notify the Association or Club immediately if you believe that is the case so that we may inspect and address the situation as promptly as possible.

Landings Association                               Landings Club                    
SeeClickFix or Amber Capps                  Tricia Cleary
amberc@landings.org                              Tricia.Cleary@LandingsClub.com
(912) 598-5509                                        (912) 598-3551     

Both of our organizations are doing everything possible to normalize life on our island. Please bear with us all as our staff and vendor-partners work to clean up the extensive damage to our grounds.

Sincerely,

Rex Templeton, Jr., President                    John Kinnaman, President
The Landings Association                         The Landings Club

WASHINGTON – U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in Georgia affected by Hurricane Matthew that occurred on Oct. 4 –15, 2016.

“The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the people of Georgia with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist businesses, homeowners and renters with federal disaster loans. Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

The disaster declaration covers the counties of Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, McIntosh and Wayne in Georgia, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA.  Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: Appling, Brantley, Camden, Candler, Emanuel, Evans, Jenkins, Liberty, Long, Pierce, Screven and Tattnall in Georgia; and Hampton and Jasper in South Carolina.

Businesses and nonprofits can apply for up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster damaged
real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory, and other business assets.  Loans for working capital, known as Economic Injury Disaster Loans, are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. Homeowners can apply for up to $200,000 to repair or replace disaster damaged real estate.  Homeowners and renters can apply for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged personal property including automobiles.

Interest rates are as low as 4 percent for businesses, 2.625 percent for private nonprofit organizations, and 1.563 percent for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years.  The SBA customizes loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s circumstances.

Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase up to 20 percent of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes.  Eligible mitigation improvements may now include a safe room or storm shelter to help protect property and occupants from future damage caused by a similar disaster.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, survivors should register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by mobile device at m.fema.gov or call the toll-free Helpline at 800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362 (800-462-7585 TTY).

The SBA offers several ways to apply for a disaster loan: online application via SBA’s secure website at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela; visit a recovery center for one-one-one assistance; or download an application from www.sba.gov/disaster.  For information or to request application forms, call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The filing deadline to submit applications for physical property damage is Dec. 16, 2016. The deadline for economic injury applications is July 17, 2017.

Under O.C.G.A. § 43-41-17, specialty contractors who offer or contract to perform or undertake or perform for an owner limited, specialty, or specific trade contractor work do not have to hold a license as a residential or general contractor if they are performing
work within their specialty. However, nothing in Chapter 41 shall permit a specialty contractor to perform work that falls within the licensing requirements of Chapter 14 of Title 43 where such specialty contractor is not duly licensed under such chapter to
perform such work. The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors has been directed by
January 1, 2008, to identify specialty categories and scopes of work, allowing those specialties to contract directly with an owner without being a licensed residential or general contractor.
• Anyone who is included on this list who is working for a licensed residential or general contractor under a valid permit is exempted from having to hold a residential and general contractor license of his or her own. However, such individual must ensure that he or she complies with any legal requirements (such as those found in Chapter 14 of Title 43) for his or her specialty trade.
• The State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractor recognizes that limited service contractors can coordinate multiple specialty trades within the scopes of work listed below.
• Traditional specialty contractors will not be required to carry a residential or general contractor license but will be required to comply with all applicable national, state, and local codes and ordinances.

The following list is under development and subject to change. If upon review, you believe an additional category of work falls within your scope of work please submit comments or considerations in writing to:

State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors
237 Coliseum Dr.
Macon, Georgia 31217-3858
O.C.G.A §§ 43-41-1 through 43-41-17 can be viewed in its entirety at
http://www.sos.state.ga.us/plb/contractors
Acoustic Treatments
Acoustical Ceilings
Aluminum Framed and Glass Storefronts
Athletic Equipment
Asphalt Paving
Automatic Doors
Awnings
Cabinets and Countertops
Carpet, VCT & Base
Casework
Caulks & Sealants
Ceramics & Hard Tiles
Chutes
Cold Formed Metal Framing
Concrete Cast in Place
Concrete Formwork
Concrete Precast
Concrete Tilt Up
Cornice Work
Dampproofing and Waterproofing
Dams
Decorative Metals
Demolition
Doors, Frames & Hardware
Drywall
EIFS and Stucco
Elevators
Engineered Retaining Walls which includes:
• Mechanically Stabilized Earth Structures
Equipment Lifting and Transportation
Erosion and Sedimentation Controls
Escalators
Fencing
Fireproofing
Flagpoles
Flat Roofing
Finish Carpentry
Fire Equipment
Fireplaces
Foodservice Equipment
Fuel System Installation
Glazing
Grading
Grouting
Gutters and Downspouts
Insulation
Laboratory Equipment
Landscape and Irrigation
Library Equipment
Lifts
Light Gauge Metal Studs
Loading Dock Equipment
Lockers and Locker Room Benches
Masonry
Operable Partitions
Overhead Doors
Paint Booth Installation
Painting and Special Coatings
Parking Control Equipment
Piles and Caissons
Postal Specialties
Pre-engineered Special Purpose Rooms & Vaults
Pre-engineered Metal Buildings
Recreational Equipment
Reinforcing Steel
Rough Carpentry
Scaffolding
Seating which includes:
• Pre-fabricated seating
• Pre-fabricated bleachers
• Pre-fabricated press boxes
Sheet Metal Roofing
Shelving and Bins which includes:
• Pre-fabricated mezzanines
Shingles and Shakes
Siding
Signage
Site Furnishings
Skylights
Sliding & Coiling Doors
Structural Metal Framing
Structural & Miscellaneous Steel which includes:
• Stairs and railings
Terrazzo
Theater Equipment
Toilet Compartments & Accessories
Visual Display Boards
Wall Finishes
Window Treatments
Windows
Wood Flooring

Savannah, GA – (October 18, 2016) FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance Specialists will be joining Chatham Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) and insurance companies tomorrow, Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at the Catastrophe Hurricane Village located The Home Depot on 11180 Abercorn Street, Savannah, GA 31419. 

These specialists will be at the Catastrophe Hurricane Village to answer questions regarding disaster assistance. If you miss them at the Catastrophe Hurricane Village they will begin making rounds throughout the communities to meet with citizens in order to discuss disaster assistance.

To begin the application process through FEMA for Individual Assistance, please visit www.disasterassistance.gov or call 1-800-621-3362.