For Immediate Release:
December 10, 2012
Sandy recovery workshop for residents is Jan. 10
Contractor fraud, FEMA grants, flood insurance are focus of consumer workshop
NEPTUNE, NJ – Monmouth County residents are invited to a Superstorm Sandy Recovery Workshop on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, at the Monmouth County Connection, 3544 State Highway 66, Neptune. The informational workshop will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. and repeated again from 6 to 8 p.m.
“With the Superstorm Sandy clean up under way, homeowners need concrete additional information about how to proceed with the repair and rebuilding of their homes,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry liaison to the county Division of Consumer Affairs. “These identical sessions will provide homeowners with how-to’s related to their current situation and projects.”
The workshops are free and open to all Monmouth County residents, but registration is required. To register, please call 732-303-2828.
The two-hour workshops will provide information about FEMA grants, the National Flood Insurance Program, how to avoid falling prey to contractor fraud and what to look for when signing a contract for home repair.
“There are several elements that should be included in a home repair contract to make it legal,” said Annmarie Howley, director of the county’s Division of Consumer Affairs. “A homeowner should ask for certain conditions in a contract including making payments by check and who is responsible for applying for any permits.”
Howley and representatives from FEMA and the Insurance Council of New Jersey will speak at both sessions.
“Perhaps most important is the message that when dealing with contactors in the wake of such a devastating storm, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Howley said.
“Residents with emergent needs who believe they may have been defrauded by a contractor, should not wait for the workshop to get help,” Freeholder Burry said. “You can call the Division of Consumer Affairs immediately at 732-431-7900 to get information and protect your rights.”
The Monmouth County Division of Consumer Affairs is holding these workshops at the Monmouth County Connection at 3544 State Highway 66 in Neptune, adjacent to the Home Depot and across the street from Walmart.
This is a new office of Monmouth County government that also offers a variety of services including passports, passport photos, free notary public, veterans’ IDs, election/voter information, senior and veterans’ services, public access computers and more.
The County Connection office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The County Connection is under the direction of County Clerk M. Claire French and is supported by the Board of Chosen Freeholders.
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