It has been a while since the last update. Hope all is well with everyone and you are getting your Cadillac ready to take to some shows. I have been out in Arizona for the past couple of months but I am getting ready to go back to New York in a few weeks. I have my media pass for the New York Auto Show. That is mid April. I will be taking photographs at the local car shows while I am in New York which will probably be April and May then back to Arizona to be with my family.
Flood Update
The house in New York is done for the most part and my mother is staying there because her house floated off the foundation and crashed into the neighbors house. My family all live within a few blocks of each other and between me and my brothers we had 7 houses really badly damaged. We are all getting back on our feet.
I have to get back to NY by April 10th or so because the water department is going to give me a fine because they didn’t like where the water meter is. Imagine getting a fine from the water dept after all the water we had in the house. It is enough to put someone over the edge.
NYC has not released any money the Government has given them to help rebuild. I think we are like 15 months into this and insurance gave us 63k even though we are covered up to 250k and I think the rebuild cost me 115k. My retirement savings and my 401k’s are cashed in, just like many of my neighbors. We still have to raise the house about 5 or 6 feet. The city and insurance company suppose to cover that. We will see if that happens. I have been working tirelessly on my other websites that bring in the income, that is why I have not been updating as often. Now that I am doing a little better I will be posting more. I appreciate all the emails asking if I was ok.
About a month before the storm Congress found out that the flood insurance plan was 25 billion in dept. They passed a law called the Biggert-Waters act. Basically they decided to stop subsidizing flood rates in one swift move of the pen. I had no idea my rate was subsidized at all in the first place. Think we pay around 2000 a year in flood insurance. The new law says it will go up 25% each year for the next 7 years until it reaches about $24,000-30,000 a year. How dumb that that sound. In 5 years I would have to pay more in insurance than the house is worth.
They are trying to change the law now but it is an uphill battle. In the middle of this FEMA came out with new flood maps and changed out house from being 4 feet above the level to 8 feet under. Once again a pen on paper did that to us.
If you live anywhere within 3 miles of water get yourself familiar with the Biggert-Waters act. That little stream near your house is going to put you in a flood zone. If you have a mortgage and your house is in a flood zone you HAVE to get flood insurance. Go read up at StopFemaNow.com. You will be surprised how dumb this law is.
That is the CLEANEST ’55 I have ever seen.