By Pepper Parr
November 5, 2014
BURLINGTON, ON.
Should the room in which the Burlington Community Foundation Information session on flood damage assistance have been fuller? CBC National news reported that attendance was poor and some people learned they weren’t going to be getting what they thought they would get.
The room looks pretty full; the mirror at the back gives that impression but there were less than 100 people in the room – many of them providing information,
There were less than 100 people in the room. The BCF understands there are about 500 homes that they think qualify for financial assistance but to date there have been just 50 applications submitted.
The assistance is limited to people who were uninsured or under insured. Most of the people who were uninsured were not able to get insurance. There were a number of homes in ward 5 that experienced serious flood several months prior to the August 4th flood. Other people were told that their deductible was being increased.
Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster assigned to the Claims Committee speaks to a couple of worried people.
The application – all 11 pages of it – is complex and Keven Reimer, the insurance adjuster proving support to the Claims Committee, took the audience through it and explained what information was needed and why it was needed.
The funds raised by the community – $810,000 has been raised to date – is what is required under the provincial government’s ODRAP (Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program). The community raised funds which the government “might” match on a two-for-one basis.
To date the province has not said they will actually do any matching, although Colleen Mulholland, president of the BCF did say she has been told to be “optimistic”.
Mark Preston, on the left and Rick Burgess holding his chin are members of the BCF Claims Committee.
The public got to meet and talk to the members of the Claims Committee – Mark Preston, Preston Insurance Services; Bruce Russell, Wardell Insurance; Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance and Rick Burgess, Burgess Law Office.
Keven Reimer is the insurance adjuster supporting the Claims Committee.
Cunningham Lindsay, an insurance adjusting firm was brought in by the BCF to provide this service: Reimer, Branch Manager in Burlington for Cunningham Lindsay, took part in the information meeting and explained the process.
Their role is to provide claims adjudication services to the BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee; Receive and triage all files; review claims submissions following the (ODRAP) rules. They will attend residential location where necessary to assess claim and provide the Claims Committee with a recommendation of the amount of eligible claim expenses
Reimer said: ODRAP is not primary insurance – any and all insurance options must be utilized prior to consideration by ODRAP
Key Dates were given to the audience:
December 15 is the application submission deadline: all applications must be received by BCF Flood Disaster Relief Committee.
December 15 – Total available Flood Relief Funds will be known
Eight weeks after the close of applications being received, approved applications will begin to receive some financial assistance.
A flooded home owner doesn’t appear to pleased with the answer being given by Nancy Swietek, Dan Lawrie Insurance, a member of the BCF Claims Committee.
Reimer did say the forms were complex. He urged people to get the forms in before the deadline. “We can’t do anything with forms we don’t have” he said. “If there is some information you don’t have – we can help you determine some of the numbers with computer software we have – just get the forms into us.”
One part of the application form will cause some indigestion for many: “Applicants are required to authorize the collection of personal information. “Pursuant to Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act Legislation this allows the Disaster Relief Committee or any assigned agency (such as Cunningham Lindsey) the right to collect personal information for purpose of investigating claims to the Disaster Relief Funds.”
Sounds like the police investigating a crime or a bank lending you some money. A lot of the money being dispersed came from the community – is this what the community expects?
The body language says it all – the two home owners don’t appear to be buying into the explanation being given them.
The Claims Information section allows the committee to identify which portion of the ODRAP criteria will apply to your claim.
Proof of residence for the damaged Property is required. A copy of a Driver’s License or two other unofficial documents
What is eligible? The Guidelines provide an assessment of the items that are considered under the program: essential furniture, electronic appliances such as fridge, stove, washer, dryer, furnace, freezer
Eligible restoration costs – are allowed to return the property to pre-loss condition – this means that finishes are allowed on a depreciated basis
Type of Loss are broken down into Building, Household goods, Farm Buildings, Essential Farm Equipment.
Each section of the application must have a response
Be specific – provide a list of the damaged items – floors, walls, ceiling, and give square footage of the damaged area
The amount claimed – again be specific
Provide the amount received from your insurer
If you had a sewer backup limit please advise what that limit is.
Common questions that are asked include:
If you do not have receipts provide an idea of what was paid – to whom and where at – provide what you can and we will try and assess the reasonableness of the claim.
Do provide correspondence from your insurer or from your agent providing that you do not have any insurance.
Do provide pictures.
Do provide a description of the allowed item.
Provide an e-mail address, cell/home phone number, to contact you.
There are some situations that are very sad: One man had what he saw as a very valuable collection of memorabilia that he had put together and was planning on that to be his retirement fund. He will not be able to collect as much as a dime.
The BCF is in a bit of a sticky situation. They have done a marvelous job of raising funds from within the community. Funds came from large corporations; two of the supermarket chains got into the game; an 11 year old boy held a fund raiser at his school and collected more than $3000; and a woman in the audience advised people that there were still home backed cookies for sale at Centro on Brant Street.
The community has come through – to date the province has not and that makes it difficult for the BCF to determine just how much money they are going to have to hand out. People in the audience asked:
“What can we do to get things moving?
Write you MPP was the only answer BCF president Collen Mulholland had for them.
Certian councillors – see Ward 5 wrapped them in the flood flag and were re-elected – guess who was absent – just saying.
Where is the City of Burlington in all of this?
Editor’s note”
The city outsourced the problem to the Burlington Co0mmunity Foundation.