The cleanup after Hurricane Sandy is far from over – and Staten Island residents in Midland, New Dorp and Crescent Beaches know that better than anyone. Although many homes in the area have already been razed by the city, many more demolitions will occur this fall.
Structurally Unsafe Homes Still Lingering
Staten Island took a big hit from Hurricane Sandy that left hundreds of homes and businesses structurally unsafe. According to Staten Island Advance’s silive.com, the city began demolishing homes immediately after the storm struck in October of 2012 – whether the homes’ owners could be reached or not. They were simply too dangerous to be left standing.
Many of the owners have never returned, and the current demolitions, a continuation of the city’s program, are the result of neighbors seeking to have them torn down because the owners had simply abandoned them and apparently had no intention of making repairs. Most of the homes involved in the latest round of demolitions are in danger of collapsing.
Why wouldn’t the owners return? According to silive.com, the most likely reason is that they signed up for the Build it Back Program, a still-controversial program that helps people rebuild their wrecked homes or reimburses them for out-of-pocket expenses if they already have begun work on their own. However, many Staten Islanders have yet to sign up because they don’t think they’ll be adequately compensated.
Have You Been Adequately Compensated?
While demolitions continue, so do battles with insurance companies who dispute settlement amounts, improperly calculate deductibles, undervalue claims, propose unfair settlements, deny claims and engage in bad faith insurance practices.
If you haven’t been adequately compensated, contact Belluck & Fox and let one of our experienced New York insurance dispute attorneys analyze your situation, get your claim settled once and for all and determine whether you might be entitled to other compensation for bad faith insurance practices. Call us today for a free consultation at 855-701-6123.