Small business owners and homeowners in New Jersey were promised billions of dollars in Hurricane Sandy aid and insurance settlements to rebuild and repair businesses and homes that were part of the $50 billion in damage caused by the Superstorm. However, many of those promises are still unfulfilled.
The Check Is Not In The Mail
Although a small percentage of the money that was promised to Hurricane Sandy victims arrived quickly, the rest simply has not – and the checks do not seem to be in the mail. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the state of New Jersey, its business owners and homeowners were promised $6.1 billion in federal aid, but have only received $816 million (or 13%) of that. Some of those agencies include:
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: $1.8 billion promised; $250,000 sent
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): $229 million promised; nothing sent
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA): $448 million promised; $29.5 million sent
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Although exact figures weren’t given, FEMA has delivered aid to about a quarter of the 260,000 families registered.
The numbers don’t get much better on the loan side. According to Bloomberg, while nearly 50% of loans promised have been paid, they have been the smaller ones. Overall, the Small Business Administration has only disbursed about 17% (or $411 million) of the $2.3 billion in loans promised.
Has Your Homeowners Check Arrived?
If you have not yet received your homeowners check from a Hurricane Sandy claim, contact Belluck & Fox. Our experienced insurance dispute attorneys can help you in matters of bad faith insurance practices, disputed settlement amounts, improperly calculated deductibles, undervalued claims, delayed settlements or denials. At Belluck & Fox, we are dedicated to providing exceptional client service and securing maximum compensation for victims of Hurricane Sandy and their families.