If you are a business owner or homeowner still struggling to get back on your feet after Superstorm Sandy, there is help available to you to ease the recovery process.
Asian Americans for Equality and the Kings Bay YM-YWHA will present a “Post-Sandy Recovery Resource Seminar” for business and homeowners, April 18, 7:00 p.m. at the Kings Bay Y’s Sheepshead Bay location, 2801 Emmons Avenue.
The seminar — sponsored by the Brooklyn Community Foundation — will address such topics as emergency repair loans for homeowners, financial assistance for small businesses, rehab cost consultation and how to qualify for a post-Sandy recovery grant of up to $15,000.
The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
To learn more, call (718) 648-7703 extension 239 or email info@kingsbayy.org.
Photo by Erica Sherman
State Senator Marty Golden has scheduled two visits of the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Insurance Response Unit to aid victims in his district who were affected by Superstorm Sandy.
- Today, March 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the NYS Department of Financial Services Mobile Command Center will be in Sheepshead Bay, on the corner of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue.
- Tomorrow, March 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., the Mobile Command Center will be outside the Gerritsen Beach Public Library, 2808 Gerritsen Avenue.
Staff will be available to assist homeowners and business owners with the following:
- City, state and federal relief programs and how to get help
- Questions about the insurance claims process in New York
- Seeking resolution on your claims with your insurer or bank
- Filing an official complaint against an insurer or bank
Anyone who can’t visit the Mobile Command Center in person can file complaints through the New York State Disaster Relief website, www.nyinsure.ny.gov or by calling the Disaster Relief Hotline, (800) 339-1759, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 pm.
Photo by Erica Sherman.
The New York State Department of Financial Services mobile unit is stationed in Manhattan Beach until 7:00 p.m. tonight, assisting residents and business owners with bank and insurance issues. And they’ve got company: representatives from several local banks who will hopefully help ease lending and the release of tied-up insurance funds.
Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz writes:
On Monday, March 4th, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., representatives of five of New York’s largest banks and mortgage servicers will be stationed in the Department of Financial Services’ Mobile Command Center outside P.S. 195, 131 Irwin Street (between Shore and Oriental Boulevards) offer one-on-one help to homeowners.
JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CitiMortgage and Ocwen Loan Servicing will be on hand. Other institutions sending representatives include OneWest Bank and Assurant, which will represent dozens of smaller banks and mortgage servicers.
… As a member of the Assembly’s Committee on Insurance, I heard testimony at a hearing last week which shed light into policyholders’ experiences with insurance companies in the four months since Sandy struck. Thousands of residents and store owners are still struggling to rebuild their homes and reopen their businesses, and for many of them, difficulties with banks and insurance claims are the primary reason why this process is taking so long.
Insurers typically issue checks jointly to a homeowner and the homeowner’s mortgage bank or servicer following the settlement of a large insurance claim. That means the bank needs to endorse the check before the homeowner may access the funds. Dual endorsement is a standard requirement of mortgage notes and insurance contracts to protect the lender’s interest. Banks may also require proof that repairs have been made before endorsing checks.
Last month, the Department of Financial Services found that banks were holding more than $200 million in insurance funds from Storm Sandy victims; the Department urged the banks to use maximum discretion and effort to speed the release of funds and asked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to announce emergency reforms to their rules to provide banks and mortgage servicers with even more discretion to release funds.
The five participating banks and servicers will be immediately releasing an estimated $70-80 million to current borrowers as a result of these rule changes.
The Department of Financial Services is also available to anyone who has questions or concerns about general insurance-related issues.
If you can’t attend, you can still get help by calling the department at (800) 339-1759. Insurance information is also available on the department’s website.
Source: NYS DFS
If you need help with an insurance issue, the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) Insurance Response Unit is coming to Sheepshead Bay.
Staff from DFS will be providing insurance assistance from its Mobile Command Center (MCC) on the corner of Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue (in front of El Greco Diner), March 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
They will be helping homeowners and business owners with:
- City, state and federal relief programs and how to get help
- Questions about the insurance claims process in New York
- Seeking resolution on your claims with your insurer or bank
- Filing an official complaint against an insurer or bank.
Bring all relevant documents with you when you visit the MCC, such as correspondence with your insurer or bank.
If you can’t visit the MCC in person you can always get help with insurance issues or file complaints via the NYS Disaster Relief site www.nyinsure.ny.gov or by calling the Disaster Relief Hotline at (800) 339-1759 Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Author Paul Moses. Source: Random House, Inc.
As part of the Turkish Cultural Center Brooklyn’s (TCC Brooklyn) “Media Talks” series, the Amity School will host Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Marine Park resident Paul Moses, who will discuss “How to Build a Career in Media,” Monday, February 4 at 3:00 p.m. The discussion will be held inside the Amity School, 3867 Shore Parkway between Brigham Street and Knapp Street, right off the Belt Parkway.
If Moses’ name rings a bell, that’s because, in the days following Superstorm Sandy, the teacher of journalism at Brooklyn College and the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism submitted to us his first local reporting piece in decades, about hard-hit Gerritsen Beach being virtually ignored both in their recovery efforts and by much of the mainstream media.
To learn more about Moses and the event, click here. RSVP by emailing rsvp@tccbrooklyn.org.
Photo by Erica Sherman
If your business was affected by Superstorm Sandy, you are eligible to receive pro-bono legal advice from volunteer attorneys who are with the Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law Project and accounting guidance from CPAs with the New York State Society of CPAs, during a free clinic today, January 31, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at El Greco Diner, 1821 Emmons Avenue at Sheepshead Bay Road.
Attorneys and CPAs will be available to answer questions related to:
- FEMA and SBA issues
- Commercial landlord/tenant issues
- Employer responsibilities
- Insurance issues
- Contract issues
- Filing amended returns
- Calculating business loss
- Applying for tax relief
You should also bring all documents related to your primary question, including:
- Your lease and all riders
- Any contracts (including amendments and relevant communications)
- Insurance policies, riders and any communications with your insurers
Assistance will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVP by going to http://sheepsheadbaysandyclinic.eventbrite.com or by calling/emailing Rodrigo Camarena at (212) 513-9211/rcamarena@sbs.nyc.gov. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/nycbusiness.
Source: ICNA Relief USA
To help aid victims of Superstorm Sandy who are now doing battle with the brutal cold snap that is affecting our region, Masjid Omar (The Islamic Center of Brighton Beach) and ICNA Relief USA will be partnering to bring a distribution of basic necessities and free medical camp to the community, January 25 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Masjid Omar, 232 Neptune Avenue between Brighton 7th Street and Brighton 8th Street.
FEMA representatives will be on hand to provide help and information. Residents should also be aware that Monday, January 28, is the last day that they will be able to apply for federal assistance from FEMA.
ICNA Relief USA provides disaster relief and social services to underserved populations within the United States. Among the items that ICNA Relief USA and Masjid Omar will help to distribute are comforters, heaters, jeans, coats, cleaning supplies, and more.
To learn more, call (866) 354-0102 or (718) 658-7028, or visit ICNA Relief USA on the web or on Facebook.
Source: Kalexanderson / Flickr
If you are feeling overwhelmed by the lasting repercussions from Superstorm Sandy, the Bay Improvement Group (BIG) will be partnering with Project HOPE to offer a 90-minute support group session with professional counselors for Sheepshead Bay residents impacted by the storm.
The session will be held behind closed doors from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., on Thursday, January 24, in a conference room in BIG’s Mobile Command Center (Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol), just west of 3031 Emmons Avenue.
If you feel you would benefit from the opportunity to share your frustrations and, in the process, help others, please attend. There is no requirement to sign up or give your name — just show up. According to BIG Founder and President Steve Barrison, “If enough people show, we’ll set them up with Project HOPE,” which conducts humanitarian assistance programs in more than 35 countries.
If you feel you or someone you know needs to speak to someone immediately, contact (800) 543-3638.
Correction (January 29): The original version of this article stated that HOPE stood for Health Opportunities for People Everywhere. The was incorrect. Health Opportunities for People Everywhere is a different Project HOPE, and is an international program. The Project HOPE discussed in this article is not an acronym, and is a New York State-funded program.
Source: Facebook
If you are a homeowner, renter or business owner affected by Superstorm Sandy and have insurance-related questions or issues related to the storm, the Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) mobile command center will be stationed outside of Public School 195, 131 Irwin Street in Manhattan Beach, all day today, January 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Representatives from DFS will meet with residents inside the mobile unit. To learn more, go to DFS’ website or call them, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at (800) 342-3736, (212) 480-6400 or (518) 474-6600.
Source: Facebook
We received this release from the offices of State Senator Martin Golden:
Benjamin M. Lawsky, Superintendent of Financial Services, announced representatives of the Department of Financial Services will be at locations in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Nassau County and Suffolk County to help homeowners, renters and business owners with insurance-related issues stemming from damage caused by Storm Sandy.
The Department’s representatives will be available to meet with residents inside the agency’s Mobile Command Center, which will be stationed at these locations:
Brooklyn
- Saturday, Jan. 5 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Jamaica Bay Home Depot, 5700 Avenue U.
Brooklyn
- Tuesday, Jan. 8 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Bergen Beach / Mill Basin Shopping Center, 6620 Avenue U.
- Wednesday, Jan. 9 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Coney Island, MCU- Parking Lot, 1904 Surf Ave.
Department representatives will help citizens contact their insurers if they have been unable to do so and answer questions about homeowners’, renters’ and business owners’ insurance coverage.
Citizens unable to go to the Mobile Command Center are encouraged to call the Department’s storm hotline (800) 339-1759 which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily including weekends. Insurance information is also available on the Department’s website, www.dfs.ny.gov.
