Disaster prepardness

The seemingly daily reports of floods, tornadoes, and severe weather events are a reminder that we should be prepared for disaster. Although we may not live in “tornado alley” or by the shores of the Mississippi, we do experience our share of natural and man made disasters.

Most people don’t typically go about their daily lives thinking about how to protect their homes and family from a tornado, hurricane, or even- zombies; however, taking the time to be prepared when a disaster strikes could mitigate your losses as well as possibly improving your recovery efforts.

Disaster preparedness at home

The Federal Government offers many resources to assist in disaster preparation. Agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA.gov), the Department of Homeland Security (dhs.gov), and the Centers for Diseases Control (cdc.gov) have preparedness programs that offer public education, training, and resources. Additionally, multi-agency programs such as Citizen Corps (citizencorps.gov) maintain local offices to assist volunteers as well as providing local education and response efforts.

One of the most widely offered free preparedness guides is published by FEMA. “Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness” (which can be downloaded at: disasterassistance.gov) is an instructional guide to preparedness, response and recovery. The guide is not only an informative manual on preparing and protecting your home and family from disasters, it is also a guide to help you recover from a disaster.

The guide recommends that you have a preparedness kit and a disaster plan. Among the pages of FEMA’s “Are You Ready?” is direction on securing your home, preparing a meeting place and/or an escape route, preparing anyone with special needs (i.e., dietary, medical, physical, etc), as well as caring for pets.

You most likely have some type of home owner’s insurance (or renters insurance if you don’t own a home) to help you recover financially from a disaster related loss. Because many home owners don’t know the extent or limitations of their insurance coverage until it’s too late, experts recommend that you review your home owners’ insurance policy with your insurance agent (or insurance company representative) to make sure your coverage is up to date and is able to replace your home and/or possessions in case of a catastrophic loss. Having the proper coverage may help you recover from a disaster quicker than those without coverage.

The American Insurance Association (aiadc.org) offered these tips for home preparedness and recovery in a press release issued during last years’ hurricane season (Sept 2010): Home preparedness can be achieved by: securing doors and windows; ensuring that exterior doors should have at least three hinges and a deadbolt length of at least one inch; replacing older garage doors and windows for systems that are certified for wind and impact; considering storm shutter installation; repairing any cracks or leaks around windows, doors, roof, exterior walls and foundation; ensuring that gutters and downspouts are secure and can drain water at least five feet from your home; inspecting the roof and repair if necessary; removing loose debris from around the home; removing dead or dying trees and shrubs; trimming back tree limbs from your home’s exterior and roof; compiling an inventory of your home’s contents by taking pictures or video.

To get your attention about preparedness at home, the CDC published a recommended preparedness kit (“Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse”; blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmatters/2011/05/preparedness-101-zombie-apocalypse).

by Dan Krell
© 2011

This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

Verify all contractor licenses

If your real estate agent says, “I have a guy to do the work…,” you might want to check if those contractors or handymen are licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC). The Maryland Real Estate Commission warns consumers that it is illegal for unlicensed contractors and handymen to do home improvements for a fee.

The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection website states that anyone who repairs, maintains, restores, or improves real property (homes) is required to be licensed by the MHIC. The MHIC regulates home improvement contractors, subcontractors and salespersons. If a handyman is altering, remodeling, or making repairs to your home- then the handyman is required to have a license too.

The MHIC issues licenses to contractors who have least two years trade experience; provide proof of financial solvency; and pass a test on the home improvement law and general business competency. Additionally, licensed contractors are also screened for serious criminal convictions and are required to make regular contributions to the Maryland Home Improvement guarantee fund.

If you selling your home, make sure that any completed repairs are performed by a contractor or handyman that is licensed by the MHIC. The Maryland Real Estate Commission and the Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) recommend that you ask contractors and handymen for their MHIC license number to verify their license status and complaint history before they begin working on your home. You can verify MHIC licenses by either calling the MHIC or through their website (www.dllr.state.md.us/license/occprof/homeim.html). Additionally, it is recommended that you check with the OCP (240-777-3636) and the Better Business Bureau (202-393-8000) for any filed complaints against the contractors.

Additionally, verifying that your contractor or handyman is actively licensed prior to any home improvement will ensure that the contractor can obtain the proper permits (if required) as well as protect you from shoddy or incomplete work. The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation (DLLR) has made an effort to have permitting offices require all contractors present their licenses when applying for permits. Additionally, the MHIC investigates all consumer complaints (some complaints result in an award for monetary damages from their guarantee fund); the MHIC will also pursue and aid in the prosecution of violators of the Maryland home improvement law.

Two specific MHIC investigations of consumer complaints last year resulted in a revoked license, a fine and jail time. The first investigation (as reported by WBAL TV in Baltimore on October 21, 2008; wbaltv.com) resulted in a revoked license from a contractor who had numerous consumer complaints of shoddy work (one home owner complained that after he paid the contractor for an addition, the addition was ordered to be torn down for being unsafe). The second investigation (as reported by the DLLR on December 16, 2008) was of the deeds of an unlicensed contractor, which resulted in a $65,000 fine and thirty days in jail.

Even though you trust your real estate agent, the fact that a real estate broker was fined by the Maryland Real Estate Commission last year for allowing the use of an unlicensed contractor (to perform repairs that were listed in a contract addendum) should be motivation enough to check out any contractor before they begin to work on your home.

Original published at https://dankrell.com/blog/2009/03/17/verify-all-contractor-licenses-its-the-law/

By Dan Krell

This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Copyright © 2009 Dan Krell