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......... As I see it, the FEMA flood insurance program is another program intended to separate property owners from their cash, and coupled with their arbitrary determinations of who owes what to the guv'mint, their propensity to manipulate data to match their agendas, and their lack of accountability to anyone for their actions really does make a scary scenario......
Bingo! And if the guberment can force people to buy health insurance to fund the inAffordable Care Act, what will keep them from not forcing everyone from buying flood insurance to fund FEMA?
I cringe at the thought of finding out out what our flood insurance bill will be next year. If it's crazy, we'll have a tough decision to make; dump the house (which will probably be worth a lot less for reasons already discussed here) or come up with some way to pay off the mortgage so that we can drop the insurance. Unless by that time you're mandated to carry insurance regardless of having a mortgage or not.
If you really want a perspective that will p*** you off, google "total $ ag subsidy". If you didn't think you were just grist for the gummint mill, think again. What I don't understand is, every time somebody stands up and says "vote all incumbents out", they get laughed at. It's the bureaucrats who are laughing at us, then collecting lifetime pensions. Bread and circus, the fall of the empire.
Down by Long Beach NY devastated by Sandyt here is a modular home company that built two spec house on piles that are patent pending.
The piles that hold house had hydraulic inside. On that model you can push a button as you evacuate and house rises up and additional several feet. Cheaper models are set up so you can easily crank them up at a later date. They are built to anticipate FEMA raising BFE. They are just awaiting Long Island building inspectors to sign off before they start selling them all over. Also have issue with FEMA as they want FEMA to BFE them at top height when you push button.
Lots of folks are turned off by climbing 20 steps to main level every day for 20 years in case of a flood. With this house and older person can got up a few steps and enjoy beach house and when next sandy is expected push a bottom house goes up ten feet
Interesting idea! You get elevation certificates from a certified or building engineer following their inspection of your property, so perhaps if they indicated the level from the house cranked up to its highest elevation, you'd be able to submit that elevation to FEMA and be good to go. The only issue is, at least its been this way in the past, that building elevation certificates are supposed to indicate the lowest level of living space as the elevation. So if anything of the house remains below the new BFE, that's what they'd put on the certificate.
We had an issue with that when we rebuilt our house in Miami after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Since the money amount to rebuild came to over 50% of the county assessed ( prehurricane) value of the house, we had to bring everything in the house up to current building code. This included a requirement that the house be at least 10 feet, ie, 2 feet above BFE at the time. The house was at 10 feet, but we had a sunken living room, and a utility room that was three inches lower than that, so our building engineer wouldn't certify the house at 10 feet unless we filled in the living room and utility room floors to meet the level of the rest of the house. So we had 3 inches of concrete poured onto the floors of both those rooms- and this wasn't covered by our insurance claim as we hadn't had the "code upgrade" rider on the insurance, we didn't know such a thing was available at the time. But we considered having to do this to get the elevation certificate relatively minor, we had neighbors, and I knew of others who had to demolish their houses because they were built below the BFE ( these were also built in 1958, or 1965, before the area was made a FEMA floodplain). As it turned out later, the county granted variances to homeowners in this boat, allowing them to rebuild, but I knew of a few people who had already demolished their houses before the variances were granted.
Bingo! And if the guberment can force people to buy health insurance to fund the inAffordable Care Act, what will keep them from not forcing everyone from buying flood insurance to fund FEMA?
I cringe at the thought of finding out out what our flood insurance bill will be next year. If it's crazy, we'll have a tough decision to make; dump the house (which will probably be worth a lot less for reasons already discussed here) or come up with some way to pay off the mortgage so that we can drop tjushe insurance. Unless by that time you're mandated to carry insurance regardless of having a mortgage or not.
Sad to say, I think if there's a way to force people into having flood insurance, the gubmint will put it into effect. They already do it for those holding mortgages, and with the disregard this current administration has for laws, and the rights of individuals ( unless they're a favored and vocal minority group, of course), they might well figure just making another regulation might do it. As a condition of home ownership, just like taxes are.
Sad to say, I think if there's a way to force people into having flood insurance, the gubmint will put it into effect. They already do it for those holding mortgages, and with the disregard this current administration has for laws, and the rights of individuals ( unless they're a favored and vocal minority group, of course), they might well figure just making another regulation might do it. As a condition of home ownership, just like taxes are.
They forced EVERY one in my town to have Flood insurance after Sandy. Folks with mortgage were already forced to have it. Folks with no mortgage who got damaged in Sandy as condition of FEMA disaster relief, SBA Loans even state grants they under penalty of law made me and my spouse sign we will ALWAYS maintain flood insurance on house. In addition, under penalty of law when I sell home I have to tell next buyer even if a cash buyer my house is required to have flood insurance.
What if I tell them to f off. Guess what my form from state grant says I have to pay back all the grant immediately and pay a $12,000 fine and if I dont they can put a lien on my house and sell it.
Taking money from Uncle Sam is alot like borrowing from Vinnie the loan shark.
Also remember, every house tagged like my house is tagged for life of house. 100 years from now if house is still standing it needs flood insurance and 100 years from now current owner will still be barred from receiving a FEMA disaster relief payment as it is a once in a lifetime per house grant.
Interesting idea! You get elevation certificates from a certified or building engineer following their inspection of your property, so perhaps if they indicated the level from the house cranked up to its highest elevation, you'd be able to submit that elevation to FEMA and be good to go. The only issue is, at least its been this way in the past, that building elevation certificates are supposed to indicate the lowest level of living space as the elevation. So if anything of the house remains below the new BFE, that's what they'd put on the certificate.
We had an issue with that when we rebuilt our house in Miami after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Since the money amount to rebuild came to over 50% of the county assessed ( prehurricane) value of the house, we had to bring everything in the house up to current building code. This included a requirement that the house be at least 10 feet, ie, 2 feet above BFE at the time. The house was at 10 feet, but we had a sunken living room, and a utility room that was three inches lower than that, so our building engineer wouldn't certify the house at 10 feet unless we filled in the living room and utility room floors to meet the level of the rest of the house. So we had 3 inches of concrete poured onto the floors of both those rooms- and this wasn't covered by our insurance claim as we hadn't had the "code upgrade" rider on the insurance, we didn't know such a thing was available at the time. But we considered having to do this to get the elevation certificate relatively minor, we had neighbors, and I knew of others who had to demolish their houses because they were built below the BFE ( these were also built in 1958, or 1965, before the area was made a FEMA floodplain). As it turned out later, the county granted variances to homeowners in this boat, allowing them to rebuild, but I knew of a few people who had already demolished their houses before the variances were granted.
Funny part is my house is below BFE but since I did not have flood at time of sandy just got $31,900 Fema grant. Town takes cost to rebuild home vs. insurance payment and if more than 50% you are tagged ICC> In my case at $31,900 I was not tagged. Plus ICC FEMA grant of 30K to help raise home is is only for folks with flood insurance.
Now for fun part. My house has a PRP policy as we were only zoned into flood in 2009 which means I will be automatically grandfathered into low risk on expiration and wont need an EC. My split has a crawl space two feet down, first level (den, bathroom, laundry room) is one feet down (meaning below sidewalk level) and second level den extension if three feet up, third level main floor is four feet up. So I had six feet of water.
But since my house is built in 1955, only had one flood claim is not ICC guess what I dont need an elevation certificate. FEMA told me leave it as is and next huge storm we will pay to raise it.
Fun stuff my block is a BFE or 9, I have a neighbor with a six foot basement and we had a storm surge of 15 feet. But guy with six foot of basement is still there and still paying $500 a year flood.
Sandy, I am sorry for the losses you have had to deal with and all the clean up and rebuilding.
I have a couple of questions; You said that your state grant requires you to pay it all back plus a fine if you do not carry flood insurance. So you received a grant from the state as well as money from the Disaster Relief fund run by FEMA on top of monies you received from your flood insurance policy, is that right?
Was the money from the insurance insufficient to compensate for your losses? I am very interested to know if the payout was insufficient to rebuild.
Also, when you say that everyone in your town now has to have flood insurance is that because they all received grant monies from the State and FEMA? If they did not take the grant monies would they still be 'forced' to carry flood insurance.
Your posts are most informative for those of us who have been fortunate enough not to have gone though these horrors.
They forced EVERY one in my town to have Flood insurance after Sandy. Folks with mortgage were already forced to have it. Folks with no mortgage who got damaged in Sandy as condition of FEMA disaster relief, SBA Loans even state grants they under penalty of law made me and my spouse sign we will ALWAYS maintain flood insurance on house. In addition, under penalty of law when I sell home I have to tell next buyer even if a cash buyer my house is required to have flood insurance.
What if I tell them to f off. Guess what my form from state grant says I have to pay back all the grant immediately and pay a $12,000 fine and if I dont they can put a lien on my house and sell it.
Taking money from Uncle Sam is alot like borrowing from Vinnie the loan shark.
Also remember, every house tagged like my house is tagged for life of house. 100 years from now if house is still standing it needs flood insurance and 100 years from now current owner will still be barred from receiving a FEMA disaster relief payment as it is a once in a lifetime per house grant.
....dropping jaw......
Sure sounds like Vinnie the loan shark, doesn't it? And they must figure that $31,000 they paid you will give them good returns in the years and years and years and years of flood insurance premiums.
It's gonna kill off whats left of housing prices in FL.
I agree it's done. Soon we will be forced to buy everything. Just the start to whats to come.
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