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From : Lila Hayes
Sent : August 10, 2005
Subject : OFRG weekly update
Meeting Reminder
We are still looking for a place for this month's
meeting. Please contact me for details.
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Index
1. Book Review: Claim Paid, A Consumers Guide
Through the Insurance Claims Maze
2. Identity Theft Woes
Linger
3. New date of City Council
meeting
4. Homeowner and Renter Assistance by the
California Franchise Tax Board
5. Book Available: Insult to
Injury
---
In The News
1. Tree Firm Is Accused of Negligence, August
10, 2005, LA Times
2. [Washington] Wildfire Destroys 35,000 Acres,
August 9, 2005, LA Times
3. Carbon Monoxide Cited in Firefighter's
Death, July 27, 2005, LA Times
4. Award Winning Reporting done by the
San Diego Union Tribune in 2001 on how Red Cross funds are spent
---
1.
Book Review: Claim Paid, A Consumers Guide Through the
Insurance Claims Maze
---
Claim Paid, A
Consumers Guide Through the Insurance Claims Maze was written by Frank R.
Dumas and published in 1989 by Stratton Press.
This is the fifth book
I’ve read on insurance since the fires.
To date, this book has the most down to earth, step by step claims help
of any book I’ve read. Other books
have been extremely helpful in other aspects, but this book is a nuts and bolts
kind of book.
Here are some things I
love about the book:
a.
Having both a glossary and an index at the end of the book
make the book much more useful as a reference book.
b.
Has many insiders tips on how the insurance company works
and how to get your claim paid.
c.
The chapter on hiring a lawyer is especially helpful if
you’re considering litigation. Even
helpful if you are currently in litigation.
d.
If you have a small property claim or partial loss after a
disaster, this book is definitely for you.
Here are some things that
I don’t love about the book:
a.
Due to the age of the book, some of the tips sound
hopelessly out of date (I have a strange feeling insurance companies no longer
have a typing pool typing up checks), but the sentiment behind the words comes
through loud and clear.
b.
There is not as much information on total losses as I would
like. I wonder in all of his years
in the industry, how many total losses he actually adjusted.
c.
Talks a lot about collecting on Actual Cash Value without
talking much about recovering the Replacement Cost. The only thing I can figure is that
maybe policies were different in 1989 in this regard although I have heard that
most homeowner policies were guaranteed replacement after the 1991 Oakland Hills
Fire. I find this conflicting
information very strange.
d.
Does not mention that replacing a home can cost more than
building new. He does not tell you
how to determine this or how to get this money from the company.
e.
Tells the stories of several court cases without giving
court references.
f.
He continuously gives the insurance industry way more
credit than I would. Admittedly, he
had worked in the insurance industry for over 30 years and it definitely shows
in the book.
This is definitely a book
that should NOT be skipped over.
This book should be on every person’s shelf who owns an insurance policy
of any kind. If you ever have to
file a claim, this book is definitely a must read.
---
2.
Identity Theft Woes Linger
---
I mention this because Disaster Survivors tend to
be identity theft victims more than everyone else. At our last meeting I
handed out
(26 July 2005)
A study from Nationwide Mutual
Insurance Company found that 28% of those
who experienced identity theft were
unable to completely restore their
good names even a year after the theft had
been discovered and efforts
had been made to remediate the damage. The
average fraudulent charge
made to accounts was nearly US$4,000; 16% of those
answering the survey
said they had to pay for some or all of those
charges. Only 17% of
those surveyed said they were notified of
suspicious activity by their
banks or creditors.
http://www.techweb.com/wire/security/166402606
---
3. New date of City Council
meeting
---
The San Bernardino City Council has asked to honor
the Old Fire Recovery Group. After much discussion, the date of this
recognition is Monday, September 19. The meeting starts at 3PM. I
hope to see you there!
---
4. Homeowner and Renter Assistance by the
California Franchise Tax Board
---
Although this program is not specifically for
disaster survivors, I included it for those who might benefit.
This program allows a once-a-year payment from the
State of California to qualified individuals based on part of the property taxes
assessed and paid on their homes. For the 2005 claim year, the maximum amount of
assistance that an eligible homeowner may receive is $472.60, which is 139
percent of the property taxes paid of the first $34,000 of full value of the
home (139% x $340.00). You may be eligible to file a 2005 claim if you are a
United States citizen, designated alien or qualified alien when you file your
claim and you met the following criteria on December 31, 2004:
- You were 62 years of age or older, blind, or disabled,
- You owned and lived in your own home, and
- You had a total household income of $39,699 or less.
Renter Assistance Program
This program allows a once-a-year payment from the State of
California to qualified individuals based on part of the property taxes that
they paid indirectly when they paid their rent. The maximum amount of assistance
that a claimant may receive is 139 percent of $250.00, the statutory property
tax equivalent (139% x $250.00), which is $347.50. You may be eligible to file a
2005 claim for Renter Assistance if you are a United States citizen, designated
alien or qualified alien when you file your claim and you met the following
criteria on December 31, 2004:
- You were 62 years of age or older, blind, or disabled,
- You lived in a qualified rented residence in California,
- You paid $50.00 or more per month in rent on that residence, and
- You had a total household income of $39,699, or less.
For more information (including claims forms and
instructions) go to:
---
5. Book Available: Insult to
Injury
---
You Pay Your Insurance Company to Protect You in Case of
Tragedy—But Will They Be There When You Need Them Most?
Synopsis
Joan Hangarter bought a disability policy in 1990 to protect
her should she ever become seriously ill. She dutifully paid her annual premiums
for nearly a decade. But when she became disabled, she and her children found
themselves homeless and bankrupt when her insurer—UnumProvident—stopped paying
her benefits. With the help of attorneys Ray Bourhis and Alice Wolfson,
Hangarter won a landmark $7.7 million jury verdict against Unum.
Hangarter's dramatic story illustrates in shocking detail how
insurance companies put profit above the promises they make to policyholders.
Exposing the intricate systems insurance companies use to target and terminate
expensive claims without just cause, Bourhis reveals the back-room mindset that
drives these illegal practices. He shows how low-level employees are duped into
unethical conduct, how insurers manipulate the facts and the law in the few
cases that do go to trial, and exactly what ordinary people are up against when
forced to take on this industry.
Bourhis paints a frightening picture of how key decisions by
Congress and the US Supreme Court have enabled these schemes to continue
unchecked—and he provides a sorely needed roadmap to reform.
"Ray Bourhis continues his strong commitment to justice by
successfully taking on the insurance industry and criminal fraud in this
compelling case study. He makes clear that we need to do much more to end the
shameful abuses of the current system and guarantee honorable insurance coverage
for every American."
—Senator Edward M. Kennedy
"What has happened to Joan Hangarter-and so many others like
her-is a grave injustice.... Readers of this book should urge their
congressional representatives to force the big insurance companies to honor
their obligations just as the holders of those policies honor theirs."
—John Garamendi, Insurance Commissioner, State of
California
"Painstakingly documented, hilarious, and
insightful. A seething indictment of the out-of-control insurance
industry..."
—Amy Bach, Executive Director, United Policyholders
Available on Amazon.com (new or used)
HERE
or
Or directly from the publisher (new only)
HERE
---
In The News
---
1. Tree Firm Is Accused of
Negligence
San Bernardino County supervisors call
the company irresponsible. Owner denies liability.
August 10, 2005
By Stephanie Ramos and Ashley Powers,
LA Times Staff
Writers
A company hired to remove dead and diseased
trees from local mountains was dropped Tuesday by San Bernardino County
supervisors after complaints that it operated for seven months without loggers'
insurance, chopped down the wrong trees and spoiled the landscape.
--
2. [Washington] Wildfire Destroys
35,000 Acres
Printed in the LA Times
August 9, 2005
From Associated Press
POMEROY, Wash. — Firefighters Monday continued to battle a
35,000-acre wildfire that had whipped through canyons, wheat fields and forest
land in southeastern Washington, destroying dozens of homes and cabins.
Fire crews had good lines around three sides of the fire but remained
concerned about heavy timber in the Umatilla National Forest to the south.
--
3. Carbon Monoxide Cited in Firefighter's
Death
July 27, 2005
From LA Times Staff and Wire
Reports
Carbon monoxide may have disoriented Novato, Calif.,
firefighter Steven Rucker, who died while battling the fall 2003 Cedar wildfire
in San Diego County.
A report from the National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health concluded that reduced oxygen in the blood, or
hypoxia, would explain why Rucker appeared confused and walked toward flames
when he was ordered to retreat to the safety of a house minutes before his
death.
-
4. Award Winning Reporting done by the San Diego
Union Tribune in 2001 on how Red Cross funds are spent
Union-Tribune won first place for public service, for
investigative reporting by staff writers Norberto Santana, David Washburn,
Kristen Green and David Hasemyer and commentary by editorial writer Alan Miller
on the local Red Cross chapter's handling of fire relief funds and its
subsequent misstatements to the public.
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