As residents and affected communities begin to work to repair the damage from the aftermath of the tornadoes that swept through the region, the Attorney General’s Office offers information and guidance to consumers for dealing with disaster recovery and home repair:
Keeping your Identity Safe:
If you experienced significant home damage due to tornadoes, you may have lost paperwork or material that includes your personal identifiable information. If you can, it is important to monitor your credit and bank accounts for fraudulent activity at this time. If you think you may have become a victim of ID theft, you have rights under Massachusetts law and you may request a credit freeze or fraud alert.
Read our tips for ID theft victims.
More information on requesting a security freeze or fraud alert.
Homeowners Insurance:
Most standard homeowner policies cover damage from windstorms including tornadoes. For most of these policies, you will also pay an out of pocket deductible. The amount you pay should be listed in your policy. For more information about the types of policies and more coverage details.
If you experience damage to your home, report the loss to your agent or insurer as soon as possible. If you need assistance in determining whether you have applicable insurance coverage, or if you believe your agent or insurance company misrepresented to you the extent of your coverage or the availability of insurance protections, you can contact Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at (617) 727-8400.
Auto Insurance:
Not all auto insurance policies will cover damage to your vehicle from a tornado. Damage will be covered if you have included comprehensive coverage in your policy. Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car if it is damaged by anything outside of an accident, such as fallen trees and debris damage. The coverage pays to fix your vehicle minus a deductible. The deductible will be listed in your policy.
For more information about auto insurance.
If you experience damage to your vehicle, report the loss to your agent or insurer as soon as possible. If you need assistance in determining whether you have applicable insurance coverage, or if you believe your agent or insurance company misrepresented to you the extent of your coverage or the availability of insurance protections, you can contact Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline at (617) 727-8400.
Home Improvement Contractors:
Here are some tips that can help you select a contractor to conduct repairs on your home:
- Make sure that the person you are dealing with is a licensed contractor affiliated with a legitimate business. If you have access to a computer, you can verify a home improvement contractor’s registration online on the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation’s website: http://db.state.ma.us/homeimprovement/licenseelist.asp
- You should not pay more than one third the cost of the project at the inception of the contract, with another third due half way through the project and the balance paid when the work is completed to your satisfaction.
- Be wary of a contractor who demands full payment up front. A reputable contractor should allow you to pay upon completion of the job, or at most, require a reasonable portion of the payment upon signing the contract and the remainder when the job is done.
- For more tips to help select a home contractor.
More Resources:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a website with comprehensive information about disaster recovery and consumer information relative to last week’s tornadoes. Click here to visit the state’s storm recovery site. (http://www.mass.gov/stormrecovery)
Massachusetts residents in need of emergency assistance are urged to contact the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, at 508-820-2000, or 800-982-6846.
To check the history of a business or to file a complaint about a scam, the Attorney General’s Office urges you to contact its consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400 or file a complaint online at www.mass.gov/ago/consumercomplaint.
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