This week scores of homes in Andover, Lawrence and North Andover were damaged or destroyed in a bizarre series of gas explosions. Now that the emergency has passed those whose homes were involved are left the reality that their lives have been turned upside down.
As folks start to sort through the situation, here are our thoughts from a legal perspective.
1. If you own your property, call your insurance company. If you don't remember your insurance company's name and your paperwork is lost, destroyed, or inaccessible, call your insurance agent. They can help you make the claim. You can do this by phone, but you'll want to follow up and put the notification in writing. It does not have to be anything formal, an email will do, but you should have a paper trail. Even if your home was not harmed, but you had to be evacuated, you may want to check with your homeowner's policy. You may have coverage for things like hotel stays, meals and the like.
2. If you rent your property and had renter's insurance, be in touch with your renter's insurance company.
3. Make a claim with Columbia Gas. Beginning Sunday, September 16, it will be at the Lawrence Public Library everyday from 8am-5pm.
4. People may show up at your property and get you to sign on with them. Who are these people? Public insurance adjusters, general contractors, demolition people and others. DO NOT sign with these folks, at least not yet. You may need some or all of these tradespeople to help you, but don't just sign with the first person who shows up on your lawn. Get references from friends, family, and co-workers. Take the time to investigate each person just as you would if you planned to do a home renovation.
5. As mentioned above, your insurance should cover living expenses while your home is being repaired or rebuilt. Check into your coverage as soon as you can with your insurance company so you can find a suitable place to rent. In the meantime, keep all your receipts for reimbursement.
6. A public insurance adjuster can be a real help if you feel that your insurance company is not adequately compensating you for your losses. However, you may not need such a person in this case. First, if your insurance company is going to pay you your whole policy, then you don't need to pay someone to fight for you. You are getting the entire value of what you'd be entitled to. Second, depending on how Columbia Gas handles the situation, your insurance company may end up being minimally involved. If you do choose to hire one, make sure they are licensed and have good references.
7. When you renovate a home, you must bring the home up to the current building code. Here in Massachusetts, most homes that undergo any renovation, planned or otherwise, must have code upgrades. Code upgrades are covered by separate provisions in your policy over and above the policy amount. Typically, that amount is 10% of the policy amount, but you'll need to check your policy as the percentage does vary. In other words, if you have a policy valued at $350,000, and your code upgrade is 10%, you then have $35,000 for code upgrades.
8. Knowing and understanding how your policy works is critical. Knowing how any contractor that you plan to hire works is also critical. Give serious thought to having a lawyer review any contract you plan to enter, especially one with a general contractor. You can read about considerations of hiring a contractor in an earlier blog post. Before you sign any contract for renovation or repair work, you MUST have a clear understanding of the scope of the work. Are code upgrades included in the price you have been given? Many times they are not and homeowners are caught off guard when they learn that the property must be re-wired and that the electrical cost provided in the quote by the contractor does not include this work.
9. If your home is not completely destroyed, take photographs and videos to document your possessions. You will need to come up with a list of items so you can be reimbursed for your lost personal property. If, unfortunately, your home was completely destroyed. Go through your home, room by room and visualize what was in your home and make a list. Ask others who might have photos or who frequent your home to help you out.
10. Don't hesitate to get emotional and mental health support. What happened this week in the Merrimack Valley was traumatic. Even if you were not physically injured, there may be a psychological impact on you and/or your loved ones.
