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Old 10-12-2007, 08:48 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 15,360,321 times
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What happens to a house that was NEVER in a flood plain, but now is considered in one because of the 98 flood? THAT was a 500 year flood, and not even this past summer or the flood of 02 got that bad. I have a client going through nightmares selling their house now. They have a contract, passed inspections and are to close in a week, and their realtor comes to them today with this news??? I don't understand how and why BCAD can do this and NOT inform the property owners??? How does one protest this kind of thing? Has it happened to anyone here in SA recently? Does this mean they HAVE to buy flood insurance? or does it mean they can't even get it if they wanted to?? I am stunned by this??? That was almost 10 years ago before this couple even bought the property!

Is there any recourse, or way to protest this???
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Old 10-12-2007, 09:06 PM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,067 times
Reputation: 560
Quote:
Originally Posted by wCat View Post
What happens to a house that was NEVER in a flood plain, but now is considered in one because of the 98 flood? THAT was a 500 year flood, and not even this past summer or the flood of 02 got that bad. I have a client going through nightmares selling their house now. They have a contract, passed inspections and are to close in a week, and their realtor comes to them today with this news??? I don't understand how and why BCAD can do this and NOT inform the property owners??? How does one protest this kind of thing? Has it happened to anyone here in SA recently? Does this mean they HAVE to buy flood insurance? or does it mean they can't even get it if they wanted to?? I am stunned by this??? That was almost 10 years ago before this couple even bought the property!

Is there any recourse, or way to protest this???
Well, I do know that it does mean they have to purchase flood insurance.
The mortgage company won't fund the loan if it's considered in a flood zone and there is no flood coverage.
As to why, how and when they determine flood zones, I'm not up to speed on that.
Did you check the FEMA site yourself? It's FEMA that designates flood zones, not BCAD.
FEMA Map Service Center -
Hope this link works, seems awfully long for a home page site....
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Old 10-12-2007, 09:08 PM
 
Location: Helotes, TX
469 posts, read 2,341,703 times
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FEMA is the agency responsible for flood plain declaration and flood insurance. Their findings are federal and therefor trump all, even BCAD. The zoning information center downtown may be able to give you more info, they have always been very helpful when I've gone down there.
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Old 10-12-2007, 09:30 PM
 
4,796 posts, read 15,360,321 times
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Thanks....I'll pass this on to them. I'm afraid that there's no recourse if FEMA dictates this. FEMA wasn't even involved in the 98 flood here if I recall....and no one even had water near their homes in this neighbohood. It's crazy! But a creek bed does fall behind their house, but it is now a concrete culvert and the city has done a great job of maintaining it.

I do remember a whole neighborhood was wiped out on the far SE side of town along the Salado creek. The city condemned those properties and bought them all out. They have since razed those homes and it's now a park.
This neighborhood does not have anything even close to that problem!!...Heck...half of SA was waterlogged in the flood! What a NOT fun surprise in the middle of a dicey house sale!

So flood insurance is the only requirement? I wouldn't have a clue to what that involves. This is all new to me.
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Old 10-12-2007, 09:46 PM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,067 times
Reputation: 560
Quote:
Originally Posted by wCat View Post
Thanks....I'll pass this on to them. I'm afraid that there's no recourse if FEMA dictates this. FEMA wasn't even involved in the 98 flood here if I recall....and no one even had water near their homes in this neighbohood. It's crazy! But a creek bed does fall behind their house, but it is now a concrete culvert and the city has done a great job of maintaining it.

I do remember a whole neighborhood was wiped out on the far SE side of town along the Salado creek. The city condemned those properties and bought them all out. They have since razed those homes and it's now a park.
This neighborhood does not have anything even close to that problem!!...Heck...half of SA was waterlogged in the flood! What a NOT fun surprise in the middle of a dicey house sale!

So flood insurance is the only requirement? I wouldn't have a clue to what that involves. This is all new to me.
FEMA manages the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program); thus their site creates and posts the Flood Maps; they also issue LOMR's and LOMA's (Letter of Map Revision and Letter of Map Amendment - basically the same thing, not sure when which acronym is used)...

If indeed, the owner needs to purchase flood insurance, most any insurance company that offers homeowners's products should be able to find a flood policy for your client.
But, you know..... it doesn't sound like it's even been VERIFIED that this is mandatory where your client is buying. Maybe it just isn't accurate!! I would THINK that if it is TRUE, the owner would have already been notifiied by some means. Just check everything out on that website liink I put in up above. PM me if you want to; I may or may not be able to help.... LOL...
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Old 10-13-2007, 08:34 AM
 
168 posts, read 482,722 times
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I inquired about a house for sale several years ago and pointed out to the realtor that the property was in a flood plain. She explained that she was working FEMA to remove the house from that map. FEMA is responsible for a new evaluation of property and removal from the flood plain maps. It can be done and that is the process for doing it. I do know that property was removed by FEMA in a short period of time.

There was a recent thread on this issue in the last couple of weeks. Here is one of the many links posted that includes access to maps:
BRWM

Look here for more links: //www.city-data.com/forum/1649532-post5.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by wCat View Post
What happens to a house that was NEVER in a flood plain, but now is considered in one because of the 98 flood? THAT was a 500 year flood, and not even this past summer or the flood of 02 got that bad. I have a client going through nightmares selling their house now. They have a contract, passed inspections and are to close in a week, and their realtor comes to them today with this news??? I don't understand how and why BCAD can do this and NOT inform the property owners??? How does one protest this kind of thing? Has it happened to anyone here in SA recently? Does this mean they HAVE to buy flood insurance? or does it mean they can't even get it if they wanted to?? I am stunned by this??? That was almost 10 years ago before this couple even bought the property!

Is there any recourse, or way to protest this???

Last edited by mastercone; 10-13-2007 at 08:46 AM..
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Old 10-13-2007, 10:57 AM
 
Location: North Central SA
734 posts, read 3,014,797 times
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We got told we were in a flood plain, when 4 years ago when we bought our house we weren't. We fought it and challenged them. We also paid for a survey for them to come out and see if we really were in the flood plain. We ended up being able to prove that we weren't in the flood plain. I'm not sure of all the details, hubby was the one in charge. But we ended up not having to have the flood insurance. We also almost bought a house that the builder said wasn't in a flood plain, but BCAD said it was. We got out of the contract, and they are fighting it too. They had no idea.
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Old 10-13-2007, 11:05 AM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,067 times
Reputation: 560
Quote:
Originally Posted by Turtle_Mom View Post
We got told we were in a flood plain, when 4 years ago when we bought our house we weren't. We fought it and challenged them. We also paid for a survey for them to come out and see if we really were in the flood plain. We ended up being able to prove that we weren't in the flood plain. I'm not sure of all the details, hubby was the one in charge. But we ended up not having to have the flood insurance. We also almost bought a house that the builder said wasn't in a flood plain, but BCAD said it was. We got out of the contract, and they are fighting it too. They had no idea.
See, again, BCAD does NOT manage this program; they may dispense info but they get it all from FEMA...
It would be a disaster if each county appraisal district across the nation handled all this information; they have access to the information and have a vested interest in FEMA designations, but they have no authority and their information shouldn't be relied on. I'm not saying that to imply they are incompetent, but that they are not government mandated to manage and dispense these decisions, so you need to go to the main source of accurate information.
FEMA is the kingpin, they determine and post all applicable information. I think I posted their website up there.
And YES, as someone else pointed out you CAN dispute their info; doesn't mean that you'll always win, but if you do, FEMA issues a LOMR or LOMA. For that matter, a LOMR/LOMA could already be in existence, and can also be found on the FEMA website.

But you need to start at FEMA; no other entity has any authority on designating flood zones.
NOTE: LOMA=Letter of Map Amendment; LOMR= Letter of Map Revision; both designations have been used, but primarily LOMA is used; they are the same document......
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Old 10-13-2007, 11:20 AM
 
168 posts, read 482,722 times
Reputation: 114
Quote:
Originally Posted by PopsGuysRule View Post
See, again, BCAD does NOT manage this program; they may dispense info but they get it all from FEMA...
The BCAD website provides a rough sketch of flood plains on their mapping system. They errantly concluded that it was managed by BCAD even though it is FEMA. There's enough acronyms to go around for decades within government.
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Old 10-13-2007, 11:30 AM
 
Location: Diyallusss, TX
1,805 posts, read 4,774,067 times
Reputation: 560
Quote:
Originally Posted by mastercone View Post
The BCAD website provides a rough sketch of flood plains on their mapping system. They errantly concluded that it was managed by BCAD even though it is FEMA. There's enough acronyms to go around for decades within government.
I realize that it was information misconstrued by viewing a different site, and that's why I pointed it out. Thanks for the backup.....
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