After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535 (3265.00
deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied to FEMA to
help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. At first FEMA referred me to SBA
for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained that there was no way I
could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an inspector down to verify
my damage. A month later they determined that I didn't have enough damage to
justify them giving me any aid. $14,800 damage isn't enough damage to a
person living on 1098 a month? Not only that, the lowest estimate I have
received to repair the roof is $17000. I'm trying to get my insurance
company to re-evaluate and give more money towards the roof but the fact
remains that I still have 3265 deductible which I can't afford. I don't want
to wave the flag or anything like that but I served 4 years in the U.S.
Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

I think the real problem here is that you saved nothing for your
retirement. A responsible person saves for the perverbial rainy day.
You did not. I don't feel that your irresponsibility should cause
other people's tax dollars to bail you out. try living within your
means. Living within your means includes saving a substantial portion
of your income for things like retirement and emergencies.

scott is a welfare bum...only someone receiving government handouts all
their life could be so callous.

write your local congressman or state rep...mention your veteran
status....go to the local news with your story......

Its sad that so many were hurt and I hope you get some additional help!

The US is big enough, perhapos we should have a nationwide disaster
insurance where in BIG cases the government picks up more of the cost
of repaiirs..

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one

Jerry L wrote snip" I paid taxes all my life and never got anything
for free from the
government."snip

And now you do? It's a bad thing when people expect the fed to
come to their financial rescue. "We're here to help". Tom

wrote:

Its sad that so many were hurt and I hope you get some additional help!

The US is big enough, perhapos we should have a nationwide disaster
insurance where in BIG cases the government picks up more of the cost
of repaiirs..

They gave us SS, but that is going bust. They gave us Pension Benefit
Guaranty, but that is going bust. Somebody voted to reduce taxes.
Gonna' rob a bank?

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one

No, some French trader screwed up by building a trading post there about
400 years ago. Tom Jefferson, I think, bought it from the French. The
rest is history )

Florida folks are getting their shorts in a bunch about the coming
increases in storm insurance. The state insures when nobody else will.
We don't want to pay for insurance, want to live on the water, and
want manna from heaven when the sky falls in. Don't want to pay for
national health insurance, but want everything it would cover if we
bought it. I'm working on a solution )

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006 11:32:07 -0500, "JerryL"
wrote:

After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535 (3265.00
deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied to FEMA to
help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and Mississippi

I think those people lost their entire homes, not just damage to their
roofs.

among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on.

Those with dependant children you may well be right.

At first FEMA referred me to SBA
for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained that there was no way I
could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an inspector down to verify
my damage. A month later they determined that I didn't have enough damage to
justify them giving me any aid. $14,800 damage isn't enough damage to a

You could well argue that the damage is now 3265, your deductible.

person living on 1098 a month? Not only that, the lowest estimate I have
received to repair the roof is $17000. I'm trying to get my insurance

Or 5465.

But tile roofs are expensive. Storms are inevitable. 22% deductible
is pretty high, and one bears the risk that it won't be enough. I
have a friend whose mother lives in a condo in Floriday. (Condo
doesn't mean someone is rich, anymore than owning one's own home means
he is rich.) The whole n'hood sufferred roof tile loss. They are
being assessed by the condominum association to pay for part of it
(not all, because the CAssoc has storm insurance) and she has her own
insurance in addition that she expects will pay for most or even maybe
all of the rest. But she's paid for that insurance ever since she's
been there.

My mother occasionally complained that she was "insurance poor", but
she still bought it because she knew she had to have it. And if I paid
more attention to my situation, I might say the same thing.

BTW, I agree with having a high deductible. One should only insure
for risks one cannot afford to bear. For the rest, one can be a
self-insurer, and one doesn't have to pay for the insurance company's
profit or paper work. OTOH, you don't seem to be able to bear the
high deductible. What would the additional premium have been to have
a lower deductible?

company to re-evaluate and give more money towards the roof but the fact
remains that I still have 3265 deductible which I can't afford. I don't want
to wave the flag or anything like that but I served 4 years in the U.S.
Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never got anything for free from the
government.

You mean nothing exceptional. You got roads, police, fire, the
courts, an army, a navy, the FDA, the FCC, etc.

What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

Would you want to trade places with those people on welfare whose
homes and all of whose belongings were totally destroyed?. Even if
there were not rainstorms, would like to live off of welfare?

How old are you? If you're considered too old to work (65?) and you
gave away most of your assets, you might be eligble for welfare too.
Would you want to live like that?

The US and the states have a general policy that even poor or
irresponsible people won't be left to die of exposure. It's
inevitably going to lead to results like your case that seem unfair.

But there is no "solution". If your losses were fully paid for,
people, not rich but with more money than you, or who bought better
insurance than you, who lost their roofs would think that paying you
was unfair.

It see,s they made some big mistakes in how they executed this, in the
case of these two strorms. Specifically it sounds like on the news
that the government paid the dailly rate to rent motel rooms instead
of negotiating a weekly or monthly rate. Unless they tried and
failed, which no news report I have heard or read has said, I think
that's pretty stupid. Heck, NYC hotels don't advertise a weekly rate,
but when my mother went to visit my brother there (in 1964) , what
she did the first day was go to about 5 nearby hotels and find which
would give her the next 7 days for the cheapest rate. A couple
offered no weekly rate, including the one she was staying at. But the
one across the street was about 40% or 50% off since she wanted to
stay a week. Maybe the demand exceeded the supply and no motel would
do this.





Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535
(3265.00 deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied
to FEMA to help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on
TV how they were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana
and Mississippi among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these
people are on Welfare but I also understand their welfare checks are
larger than my Social Security check which I have to live on. At first
FEMA referred me to SBA for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained
that there was no way I could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an
inspector down to verify my damage. A month later they determined that I
didn't have enough damage to justify them giving me any aid. $14,800
damage isn't enough damage to a person living on 1098 a month? Not only
that, the lowest estimate I have received to repair the roof is $17000.
I'm trying to get my insurance company to re-evaluate and give more money
towards the roof but the fact remains that I still have 3265 deductible
which I can't afford. I don't want to wave the flag or anything like that
but I served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never
got anything for free from the government. What is the criteria the
government uses to determine who gets and who doesn't get? I have the
answer in my mind but I won't put it in writing.
I am sorry for your loss. I had a tree through my roof a few years ago, so
I know how that feels.

My contractor met with the insurance company and explained why their
estimate was off. The insurance company agreed and paid me the higher
value. You "should" be able to get them to do it also. Maybe I just have a
good insurance company (OneBeacon) but I have found them to be very
reasonable over the years.

As someone else pointed out, the high deductible was your choice; while it
might be callous, you really don't have a right to complain about that now.

Good luck in dealing with the insurance company.

wrote:
Its sad that so many were hurt and I hope you get some additional help!

The US is big enough, perhapos we should have a nationwide disaster
insurance where in BIG cases the government picks up more of the cost
of repaiirs..

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one


So are you suggesting that this is such a BIG case? The guy is out
the deductible of $3200. The insurance company his claim of $11,500.
And now you think the govt should cover the rest? I'm sorry, but I
don't think to have an emergency repair of $3200 is something
unexpected, or uncommon for any homeowner anywhere, with or without a
disaster. This happens all the time. Replacing a furnace can cost
that much.

What I would do is pursue the insurance company for a couple thousand
more, since he now believs that is what it will actually take to get
the work done. If he can show that the original estimate for repair
was low, and submit 3 valid quotes for a higher amount, they may
reconsider. Hopefully he didn't sign anything waiving his rights when
he accepted payment.

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535
(3265.00 deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied
to FEMA to help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on
TV how they were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana
and Mississippi among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these
people are on Welfare but I also understand their welfare checks are
larger than my Social Security check which I have to live on. At first
FEMA referred me to SBA for a low interest loan.

My daughter is a state employee in a state that did not get the brunt of the
storms. As part of her job she was working to get evacuees settled into
housing, employment etc. She was also trying to locate missing relatives.

She pointed out one day during a phone call that FEMA is a four letter word.

Charlie

Appeal your settlement to the insurance company. They should base their
settlement on your $17,000 repair quote, not on the $14,800 repair estimate.
At the same time, appeal FEMA's decision. Was your area declared a "federal
disaster area"? If so, I believe you are entitled to a small grant from
FEMA even if they're saying your damage isn't "enough". From my
understanding FEMA wants to see what your insurance paid and will base your
eligibility on the difference between what the insurance paid and what it
will actually cost you to make repairs. Best of luck to you!

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535
(3265.00 deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied
to FEMA to help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on
TV how they were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana
and Mississippi among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these
people are on Welfare but I also understand their welfare checks are
larger than my Social Security check which I have to live on. At first
FEMA referred me to SBA for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained
that there was no way I could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an
inspector down to verify my damage. A month later they determined that I
didn't have enough damage to justify them giving me any aid. $14,800
damage isn't enough damage to a person living on 1098 a month? Not only
that, the lowest estimate I have received to repair the roof is $17000.
I'm trying to get my insurance company to re-evaluate and give more money
towards the roof but the fact remains that I still have 3265 deductible
which I can't afford. I don't want to wave the flag or anything like that
but I served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never
got anything for free from the government. What is the criteria the
government uses to determine who gets and who doesn't get? I have the
answer in my mind but I won't put it in writing.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I think the real problem here is that you saved nothing for your
retirement. A responsible person saves for the perverbial rainy day.
You did not. I don't feel that your irresponsibility should cause
other people's tax dollars to bail you out. try living within your
means. Living within your means includes saving a substantial portion
of your income for things like retirement and emergencies.

Who in the hell do you think you are to assume anything about me. Maybe I
did save for the rainy day and maybe catosthrophic medical bills wiped it
out. This responsible person has worked since he's 11 years old, served in
the military and paid taxes all his life. I'm irresponsible? You better pray
to your God that nothing ever happen to you or your family where you get
financially wiped out and while you're praying to him, ask him to give you a
little bit more brains.

snip

My contractor met with the insurance company and explained why their
estimate was off. The insurance company agreed and paid me the higher
value. You "should" be able to get them to do it also. Maybe I just have
a good insurance company (OneBeacon) but I have found them to be very
reasonable over the years.

As someone else pointed out, the high deductible was your choice; while it
might be callous, you really don't have a right to complain about that
now.

Good luck in dealing with the insurance company.

High deductible? That's the lowest you can get. Most Floridians have a
$10000 deductible

"chattycat" wrote in message
news:02wFf.22932$JT.9764@fed1read06...
Appeal your settlement to the insurance company. They should base their
settlement on your $17,000 repair quote, not on the $14,800 repair
estimate. At the same time, appeal FEMA's decision. Was your area
declared a "federal disaster area"? If so, I believe you are entitled to
a small grant from FEMA even if they're saying your damage isn't "enough".
From my understanding FEMA wants to see what your insurance paid and will
base your eligibility on the difference between what the insurance paid
and what it will actually cost you to make repairs. Best of luck to you!

I am appealing the insurance settlement but that doesn't help. No matter
what they give me to repair the roof, I still have that deductible. I've
already appealed to FEMA twice. Yes, my area was a Federal Disaster Area
and received the most damage in the area. FEMA will not give me any grant,
just a loan application for a "low cost loan". To quote what a "Low cost
loan" is on their application:
If you are not creditworthy the interest rate is 2%
If you do have a good credit history the interest rate is 5.35%

Tell me what that means.

You should go pursue the SBA loan. Foe people over 65, the government does
have loans that are deferred and become payable by your estate or at the
time you sell your home (attached to the property not you). They also have
loans with a 1% interest and low payments (like $35/month) again attached to
your property. The SBA will help you figure out if you qualify for one of
these. Don't throw away help just because it says "loan". My grandmother,
also on a fixed income, used one of these to get her home a much needed
repair. We have since paid it off.
"JerryL" wrote in message
...
After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535
(3265.00
deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied to FEMA
to
help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and
Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on
Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. At first FEMA referred me to SBA
for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained that there was no way I
could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an inspector down to
verify
my damage. A month later they determined that I didn't have enough damage
to
justify them giving me any aid. $14,800 damage isn't enough damage to a
person living on 1098 a month? Not only that, the lowest estimate I have
received to repair the roof is $17000. I'm trying to get my insurance
company to re-evaluate and give more money towards the roof but the fact
remains that I still have 3265 deductible which I can't afford. I don't
want
to wave the flag or anything like that but I served 4 years in the U.S.
Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

Thank you, I'll question them about this but the loan form they sent me is
very explicit about the interest and terms.


"Li" wrote in message
...
You should go pursue the SBA loan. Foe people over 65, the government
does
have loans that are deferred and become payable by your estate or at the
time you sell your home (attached to the property not you). They also
have
loans with a 1% interest and low payments (like $35/month) again attached
to
your property. The SBA will help you figure out if you qualify for one of
these. Don't throw away help just because it says "loan". My
grandmother,
also on a fixed income, used one of these to get her home a much needed
repair. We have since paid it off.

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
After Hurricane Wilma, I sustained a minimum of $14800 damage to my barrel
tile roof. After my deductible, the insurance company gave me 11535
(3265.00 deductible). My only income is from Social Security so I applied
to FEMA to help me pay the deductible. I read in the papers and heard on
TV how they were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana
and Mississippi among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these
people are on Welfare but I also understand their welfare checks are
larger than my Social Security check which I have to live on. At first
FEMA referred me to SBA for a low interest loan. I appealed and explained
that there was no way I could repay a loan on my income. They then sent an
inspector down to verify my damage. A month later they determined that I
didn't have enough damage to justify them giving me any aid. $14,800
damage isn't enough damage to a person living on 1098 a month? Not only
that, the lowest estimate I have received to repair the roof is $17000.
I'm trying to get my insurance company to re-evaluate and give more money
towards the roof but the fact remains that I still have 3265 deductible
which I can't afford. I don't want to wave the flag or anything like that
but I served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, I paid taxes all my life and never
got anything for free from the government. What is the criteria the
government uses to determine who gets and who doesn't get? I have the
answer in my mind but I won't put it in writing.

Explain to them that you you have ties to Halliburton. You'll get a lot of
money then.

On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 22:16:49 -0500, wrote:

On 5 Feb 2006 10:13:54 -0800, "
wrote:

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one

The problem was the silly idea you can actually be safe behind any
levee in the 140mph coastal wind zone.. They meed to barge in enough
dirt to get them 11' above sea level before they rebuild anything.
That is the FEMA rule everywhere else.

The posts or whatever you call them didn't go down far enough. They
made this mistake 40 years ago, or was it more. Apparently it was
the fault of the Corps of Engineers, although where the fault lay
exactly, I haven't heard..

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

I survived Charlie and our whole area was
trashed. Bottom line about FEMA is you have
to be destitute to receive help. You must
have been displaced due to your home being
destroyed. To qualify for the low interest loan
you must not be able to secure a loan any other
way. In other words- have no credit or be a
general low-life, drug addict, homeless bum etc.
If you have good credit (me) you can qualify
for a higher interest (8%) loan from the SBA
but they will demand you account for every
penny used for the loan, and the loan is "only
to put your property back to where it was before
the storm, NOT to upgrade or add anything new".

Bottom line- as mentioned here- don't depend
on the government to help. Only my neighbors
whose homes were trashed and unlivable got
some help, and a couple got FEMA trailers (after
3 months). All of us who were still able to live in
our homes, or had decent credit, were not qualified
for any help except to be reimbursed for the cost
of our generator and chain saws.

P.S. A home with a barrel tile roof in Fla is usually
a pretty nice home. Usually only upscale homes
have tile roofs. You were taking a chance living
in a nice home while only able to live on Social
Security. Maybe you should sell your place and
downsize into something affordable to you, and
easier to repair if needed.

thetiler

Before you bash the gentleman for not having a lower deductible. The
deductible for wind or hurricane used to be $500 on homeowners policies
here in Florida.

New law went into effect in 2004. no matter what you chose for a
deductible say $200 to $1000 or more for any other damage. The new law
staes on every policy written in Florida. Deductible for wind or
hurricane damage is 2% of the value of your house. 200K assessed value
$4000 deductible.

You really can't change insurance companies here for homeowners ins.
Companies are not writng new policies in Florida. Then you have to go
with the state run Insurance company. They have just raised their
premiums between 45 and 95%. And a lot of insurance companies like
State Farm and All State and other companies have dropped peoples
policies. Over 40K policies have been dropped in this state. and you
don't have to live on the coastal regions for this to happen.

PJ

Have you considered dumping the exceedingly expensive barrel tiles and
re-roofing with something that will be covered by the $11,535? Here in
Mississippi, a LOT of folks had to "downsize" some of their cosmetic
appeal (self included) in trade for something more practical and more
in line with their financial situation.

You might find a roofer who will take the barrel tiles off your hands
in trade for some of the labor costs. Taking that route "might" allow
you re-roof with a nice architectural shingle for the $11,535 you
already have in the bank, negating the need for more funds from FEMA.

But, in answer to your original question - yes, FEMA actually did quite
a lot for many in Mississippi (again, self included) but my situation
is a little different in terms of extreme loss. With five feet of
water in the house, virtually everything was destroyed, making it
necessary to strip the entire house to the studs and the floors to the
joists. And even with FEMA, my out-of-pocket expenses have (and will)
far exceed what I recouped from both them and State Farm.

Pre-Katrina, I was not destitute at all and live in a modest
neighborhood. However, post-Katrina, my wife and I lost our jobs at
Grand Casino - both of which we had been in for eleven years. Perhaps
FEMA looked at that too as a reason for their generosity... That, and
the fact that we were NOT in a flood zone (we're 24 feet above sea
level here) may have contributed to their decision as well.

Generally, folks here who "only" had roof damage (I know it's all
relative) were unable to recoup much money from FEMA.

Perhaps the original poster should get a job.

On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 22:16:49 -0500, wrote:

On 5 Feb 2006 10:13:54 -0800, "
wrote:

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one

The problem was the silly idea you can actually be safe behind any
levee in the 140mph coastal wind zone.. They meed to barge in enough
dirt to get them 11' above sea level before they rebuild anything.
That is the FEMA rule everywhere else.


11'? that won't even touch it. Codes in south Mississippi were at
13' already and they're moving to 17' and that's not enough.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Perhaps the original poster should get a job.

Perhaps the original post, which is me is old and disabled? Some of you
people are so quick to make derogatory judgements against people without
knowing the facts.
What if I answered your post and said "Perhaps this poster should get a
brain".

wrote in message
oups.com...
Perhaps the original poster should get a job.


Perhaps the original poster is sick and old and can't work.

Scott, I hope you never hit hard times.

clipped
If you are not creditworthy the interest rate is 2%
If you do have a good credit history the interest rate is 5.35%

Tell me what that means.


Most likely to force folks to commercial lenders whenever possible.

wrote:

Perhaps the original poster should get a job.

A lot of folks are on SS due to total disability. That is advice
probably already considered. Life doesn't always go according to plan.

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 13:26:13 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 08:34:39 -0600, Frank Boettcher
wrote:

11'? that won't even touch it. Codes in south Mississippi were at
13' already and they're moving to 17' and that's not enough.

It all depends on how close to the gulf you are and if it is a barrier
island. 11' is the inland rule. I am 3 miles from the beach and that
is code here. If you are on one of those sand bars people call
"islands" 17' is really not going to be enough.

No it is not, at least on the Coast of Mississippi. Areas as far
north as interstate 10 which is in many places farther than three
miles, and is not on an island or sand bar, have been at 13' minimum..
And they are going to 17' as a minimum. And you cannot get your plans
approved for construction unless you fill or construct on a raised
foundation. And it still is not enough to offer protection. Nor can
you get federal flood insurance unless you meet the code.

There is no universal 11' inland rule.

wrote in message

Certinally those in new orleans who lost everything from porely
maintained levees should be made whole. the government screwed up not
building them right from day one

The government screwed up by building them in the first place. Nothing is
impenetrable and living below sea level is just plain risky. I don't want
any of my tax dollars going to rebuild. I'd rather see it spent to relocate
those people and give them a start elsewhere..

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
snip

My contractor met with the insurance company and explained why their
estimate was off. The insurance company agreed and paid me the higher
value. You "should" be able to get them to do it also. Maybe I just
have a good insurance company (OneBeacon) but I have found them to be
very reasonable over the years.

As someone else pointed out, the high deductible was your choice; while
it might be callous, you really don't have a right to complain about that
now.

Good luck in dealing with the insurance company.

High deductible? That's the lowest you can get. Most Floridians have a
$10000 deductible
I didn't know that. I have $500.

My sympathy goes out to you for losing your roof and not having the
money to pay for it, and to Biloxi Boy for losing all his possessions
and having to rebuild his home from the frame

I have begun to wonder why you received so little sympathy from a
portion of the repliers.

I think I know why.

You said nothing in your original post nothing about any prior
catastrophic medical bills, or that you are old and disabled. In fact
you still haven't said that any of these things apply to you, only
that "maybe" they do and "perhaps" they do.

So far you say only that you worked since you were 11, served in the
military for 4 years, paid taxes all your life, and were responsible,
These are all good things but only starting work at 11 is
extraordinary. And you don't say if you quit school to work full
time, or if you mowed lawns, like I did at that age, or where in
between your situation falls

See below.

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006 11:32:07 -0500, "JerryL"
wrote:

... I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. .... I paid taxes all my life and never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

But you did find time in your first post to make all these points that
hint of a nasty attitude a) to those who lost more than you, b) to
those whose possible status on welfare has nothing to do with Wilma,
and c) you hint in your last sentence that you would like to say
something so nasty that even you won't post it.

Maybe it is because you are angry now, and will eventually cool off,
and wouldn't otherwise make such nasty cracks about others.

But really, based on all the people I know, I don't think such
feelings as you seem to express are temporary. And conversely, I've
found that people who don't feel or talk that way, actually don't talk
that way any more so when they are angry.

You are more concerned with crapping on other people than describing
your own problems.

Even though normally someone in your situation would be, you are not a
sympathetic character.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

My history means nothing. I stated a few facts just to shut up some people
on this newsgroup that have nothing better to do than to ridicule or make
light of someone else's position. There is one in particular that I will say
a prayer for and I hope he never has any setbacks, illnesses, losses, etc.
in his life because his lack of compassion will bounce back on him one day
and he'll regret a lot of things he has said to people. I thank most of the
people for some nice advise and good wishes and would like to end this topic
right here.


"mm" wrote in message
...

My sympathy goes out to you for losing your roof and not having the
money to pay for it, and to Biloxi Boy for losing all his possessions
and having to rebuild his home from the frame

I have begun to wonder why you received so little sympathy from a
portion of the repliers.

I think I know why.

You said nothing in your original post nothing about any prior
catastrophic medical bills, or that you are old and disabled. In fact
you still haven't said that any of these things apply to you, only
that "maybe" they do and "perhaps" they do.

So far you say only that you worked since you were 11, served in the
military for 4 years, paid taxes all your life, and were responsible,
These are all good things but only starting work at 11 is
extraordinary. And you don't say if you quit school to work full
time, or if you mowed lawns, like I did at that age, or where in
between your situation falls

See below.

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006 11:32:07 -0500, "JerryL"
wrote:

... I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and
Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on
Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. .... I paid taxes all my life and
never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

But you did find time in your first post to make all these points that
hint of a nasty attitude a) to those who lost more than you, b) to
those whose possible status on welfare has nothing to do with Wilma,
and c) you hint in your last sentence that you would like to say
something so nasty that even you won't post it.

Maybe it is because you are angry now, and will eventually cool off,
and wouldn't otherwise make such nasty cracks about others.

But really, based on all the people I know, I don't think such
feelings as you seem to express are temporary. And conversely, I've
found that people who don't feel or talk that way, actually don't talk
that way any more so when they are angry.

You are more concerned with crapping on other people than describing
your own problems.

Even though normally someone in your situation would be, you are not a
sympathetic character.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

They'll always try to sell you the standard product first, but there are
others out there. You just have to push a little to find them. I found out
about the loan for my grandmother from the United Way Gatekeepers program.
It is a program designed specifically to help the elderly and disabled. Try
to look up the program in your area.
Good Luck.
"JerryL" wrote in message
...
Thank you, I'll question them about this but the loan form they sent me is
very explicit about the interest and terms.


"Li" wrote in message
...
You should go pursue the SBA loan. Foe people over 65, the government
does
have loans that are deferred and become payable by your estate or at the
time you sell your home (attached to the property not you). They also
have
loans with a 1% interest and low payments (like $35/month) again
attached
to
your property. The SBA will help you figure out if you qualify for one
of
these. Don't throw away help just because it says "loan". My
grandmother,
also on a fixed income, used one of these to get her home a much needed
repair. We have since paid it off.

"mm" wrote in message
...

My sympathy goes out to you for losing your roof and not having the
money to pay for it, and to Biloxi Boy for losing all his possessions
and having to rebuild his home from the frame

I have begun to wonder why you received so little sympathy from a
portion of the repliers.

I think I know why.

You said nothing in your original post nothing about any prior
catastrophic medical bills, or that you are old and disabled. In fact
you still haven't said that any of these things apply to you, only
that "maybe" they do and "perhaps" they do.

Does that matter? Should the OP given out his SS # and his DOB? The guy
had a question which either somebody could have answered or not, but others
took liberty to use the anonymous nature of the internet to question his
past and his personal life.


So far you say only that you worked since you were 11, served in the
military for 4 years, paid taxes all your life, and were responsible,
These are all good things but only starting work at 11 is
extraordinary. And you don't say if you quit school to work full
time, or if you mowed lawns, like I did at that age, or where in
between your situation falls

See below.

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006 11:32:07 -0500, "JerryL"
wrote:

... I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and
Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on
Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. .... I paid taxes all my life and
never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

But you did find time in your first post to make all these points that
hint of a nasty attitude a) to those who lost more than you, b) to
those whose possible status on welfare has nothing to do with Wilma,
and c) you hint in your last sentence that you would like to say
something so nasty that even you won't post it.

Maybe it is because you are angry now, and will eventually cool off,
and wouldn't otherwise make such nasty cracks about others.

But really, based on all the people I know, I don't think such
feelings as you seem to express are temporary. And conversely, I've
found that people who don't feel or talk that way, actually don't talk
that way any more so when they are angry.

You are more concerned with crapping on other people than describing
your own problems.

Even though normally someone in your situation would be, you are not a
sympathetic character.



Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

"JerryL" wrote in message
...

wrote in message

oups.com...
Perhaps the original poster should get a job.

Perhaps the original post, which is me is old and
disabled? Some of you
people are so quick to make derogatory judgements
against people without
knowing the facts.
What if I answered your post and said "Perhaps
this poster should get a
brain".



Jerry don't sweat it! This is usenet. Some people
talk a lot tougher than they ever would to your
face. Once you sift thruogh the crap you'll
probably find that some folks actually give good
advice. Good luck to you. I hope you find a way to
stay in your house.

They didn't say in the original post that they were disabled. I
certainly don't expect a disabled person to get a job.

Having said that, I think the OP should be searching around for private
charities to help them out. I would be asking places like the Red
Cross and similiar places. I assume that their local charities would
be overwhelmed so if I were them I'd search nationally. It doesn't
hurt to ask. I would ask the Red Cross directly and see who they say
to ask if they can't do anything. I don't think your first choice
should have been what should some government agency do.

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 01:52:48 GMT, "FDR"
wrote:


"mm" wrote in message
.. .

My sympathy goes out to you for losing your roof and not having the
money to pay for it, and to Biloxi Boy for losing all his possessions
and having to rebuild his home from the frame

I have begun to wonder why you received so little sympathy from a
portion of the repliers.

I think I know why.

You said nothing in your original post nothing about any prior
catastrophic medical bills, or that you are old and disabled. In fact
you still haven't said that any of these things apply to you, only
that "maybe" they do and "perhaps" they do.

Does that matter?

It seemed not to and needn't matter to those who gave no commentary,
and only gave answers to his questions about how to repair his roof. I
have no objection to people who just wanted to answer the roof
questions.

But it apparently did matter to those who gave him a hard time, and
that's what I tried to explain.

Should the OP given out his SS # and his DOB?

I don't see why. No one including me asked for it. But his year of
birth would be interesting, since he suggested that he was old.
"Perhaps the original post, which is me is old and disabled?"

The guy
had a question which either somebody could have answered or not, but others
took liberty to use the anonymous nature of the internet to question his
past and his personal life.

He himself brought up his personal life.

He opened the door by tellling us how low his income was,

He spent 5 long sentences talking about the injustice of his
situation, but in 3 of those he crapped on people who *did* get money
from FEMA.

He says, My history doesn't matter, but he brought up the history of
others.

Then after some replies gave him a hard time, he wrote as if his
feelings were hurt or as if he was outraged.

And I explained why they were willing to hurt his feelings and why he
is not a sympathetic figure.

I may well be doing him a favor. It's like telling someone before he
goes to a job interview that he has bad breath. The stafff at
Insurance companies and FEMA, have limited time and even some
discretion. If he doesn't realize that the time spent crapping on
other people can irritate those who listen, now he knows and he can
avoid sinking his own ship on appeal. It's too late for anything he
might have said to them before.

So far you say only that you worked since you were 11, served in the
military for 4 years, paid taxes all your life, and were responsible,
These are all good things but only starting work at 11 is
extraordinary. And you don't say if you quit school to work full
time, or if you mowed lawns, like I did at that age, or where in
between your situation falls

See below.

On Sun, 5 Feb 2006 11:32:07 -0500, "JerryL"
wrote:

... I read in the papers and heard on TV how they
were giving away $2000 debit cards to everyone in Louisiana and
Mississippi
among other goodies. I understand that a lot of these people are on
Welfare
but I also understand their welfare checks are larger than my Social
Security check which I have to live on. .... I paid taxes all my life and
never got anything for free from the
government. What is the criteria the government uses to determine who gets
and who doesn't get? I have the answer in my mind but I won't put it in
writing.

But you did find time in your first post to make all these points that
hint of a nasty attitude a) to those who lost more than you, b) to
those whose possible status on welfare has nothing to do with Wilma,
and c) you hint in your last sentence that you would like to say
something so nasty that even you won't post it.

Maybe it is because you are angry now, and will eventually cool off,
and wouldn't otherwise make such nasty cracks about others.

But really, based on all the people I know, I don't think such
feelings as you seem to express are temporary. And conversely, I've
found that people who don't feel or talk that way, actually don't talk
that way any more so when they are angry.

You are more concerned with crapping on other people than describing
your own problems.

Even though normally someone in your situation would be, you are not a
sympathetic character.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:30:36 -0500, wrote:

On Mon, 06 Feb 2006 22:00:58 GMT, "Toller" wrote:

High deductible? That's the lowest you can get. Most Floridians have a
$10000 deductible
I didn't know that. I have $500
Is that your homeowners, your flood or your windstorm. There are 3
separate policies. The combined premium for me is about $3500 with the
high deductible option.
I do have the money to cover the deductible tho. In the last 3 storms
that kicked our ass I never got up to my deductible but we took care
of the problems ourselves. One big factor is how fast you start
mitigating the damage. You don't go looking for tarps after the roof
comes off (have one) and you make sure you do a good level of prep
before the storm.

That's for sure. The mother of the friend I mentioned had for decades
a modest home in .. I think we were still in Tamarac, Fl, and they
had iirc shutters that got bolted over the windows when storms were
expected. Not the pretty shutters with hinges and louvers that one
sees in the northeast, but solid ones. Of course this doesn't protect
the shingled roof.

Now that she is old and widowed, the condo community she moved to
sells, and I think everyone has steel shutters of the sort above, and
the window frames were built with, or there has already been drilled,
holes to accept the bolts that hold these steel shutters.

I'm sure it was dark in the apartment after their power failed but
when the shutters were still on.

They also had these half-barrel tiles on the roof, and in a n'hood
that has more than 1000 people, they lost a few hundred tiles, which
is not many considering. I guess the bulk of the storm missed them.
Their deductible is iirc 1% of the value of their condo. (maybe that
is the average price of condos sold this year.) Since there is one
apartment on top of another, 2 high, I don't know if the costs is
shared by those two owners, or the entire cost is shared by everyone.


Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

wrote:
They didn't say in the original post that they were disabled. I
certainly don't expect a disabled person to get a job.

Having said that, I think the OP should be searching around for private
charities to help them out. I would be asking places like the Red
Cross and similiar places. I assume that their local charities would
be overwhelmed so if I were them I'd search nationally. It doesn't
hurt to ask. I would ask the Red Cross directly and see who they say
to ask if they can't do anything. I don't think your first choice
should have been what should some government agency do.

Red Cross does not provide for repair of structures. I went to the
State of Florida website, which had a link to "disaster housing" -
clicked on it and got "Disaster Housing Online". Clicked on "hot
topics" and got this:

http://www.dhronline.org/hotTopics.cfm

The DH site is searchable by state.

I would check with county government and with the local agencies for
elderly, assuming OP is older. Most aid agenencies are overtaxed, and
many needs much more critical (unfortunately) than the OP's.

If coastal homes in FL are damaged more than 50%, they cannot be rebuilt
as they were - have to move up one story. Just in the 8 years I have
lived where I live, one nearby barrier island, which formerly had a
channel between it and the mainland, joined itself to the mainland. The
coast moves all over the place, always has, especially in Florida.

I was out shelling one day, standing in ankle deep water between two
small sandbars. When the tide started running faster, I had trouble
standing. Just shows the power of the oceans in minute detail )

Good luck )

"JerryL" wrote in message
...
I am appealing the insurance settlement but that doesn't help. No matter
what they give me to repair the roof, I still have that deductible. I've
already appealed to FEMA twice. Yes, my area was a Federal Disaster Area
and received the most damage in the area. FEMA will not give me any
grant, just a loan application for a "low cost loan". To quote what a
"Low cost loan" is on their application:
If you are not creditworthy the interest rate is 2%
If you do have a good credit history the interest rate is 5.35%

Tell me what that means.

Sounds like you've done everything I can think of other than perhaps contact
American Red Cross and see if they have any other resources for you. BTW, I
applied for an SBA disaster loan, was approved (at the higher interest rate
due to good credit - go figure!) and decided not to accept the loan because
the reporting and follow up paperwork looked like a nightmare. Well, they
are still sending me late payment notices even though their records show
I've never accepted or cashed any of their checks. Unfortunately not the
most efficient agency. Well, best of luck to you!