protecting your home before and after a natural disaster or emergency: what consumers need to know

Protecting Your Home Before and Protecting Your Home Before and After a Natural Disaster or After a Natural Disaster or

Emergency Emergency What Consumers Need to KnowWhat Consumers Need to Know

Consumer Affairs BranchFairfax County Department ofCable and Consumer Services

fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

On Sunday, June 25, 2006, the rain came and continued for four days causing Cameron Run to rise an estimated 14 feet in some locations.

The flood blew out windows, buckled brick walls and drenched basements on Fenwick Drive and Arlington Terrace in the Huntington area of the County.

The event damaged 158 houses, swamped basements with sewage-infested water and displaced scores of homeowners, many were renters.

County building inspectors assessed about $3.3 million worth of private property damage as a result of the storm.

Huntington FloodHuntington Flood

Prepare an inventory of your household personal property before you have a loss, or

Prepare a video tape inventory of your home and your personal property.

If you make any improvements, such as have an addition built on your home, remember to increase your insurance coverage.

Protecting Your HomeProtecting Your Home


All homeowners policies in Virginia require you to do the following when a loss occurs:

o Give immediate notice of a possible claim to your agent or insurance company. If the loss is by theft, notify the police. If you have lost your checkbook or credit cards, notify the bank or credit card company;

What You Should Do if You What You Should Do if You Suffer a LossSuffer a Loss

First: ◦ Contact your insurance agent, his or her

representative, or your insurance company,

After reporting your loss:◦ Protect your property from further loss or

damage. If you make emergency temporary repairs, take pictures before and after the repairs are completed and keep a record of what you spend.

What You Should Do If You What You Should Do If You Suffer A LossSuffer A Loss


Give your agent or company the pictures and provide him or her with a list of all damaged, destroyed or stolen property, and

Show the damaged property to your agent or company, if asked.

What You Should Do If You What You Should Do If You Suffer A LossSuffer A Loss


Hiring A Contractor If the emergency repairs are too extensive for

you to perform and you need to hire a contractor:◦ Hire only licensed contractors,◦ Check the contractors license status,◦ Obtain at least three written estimates,◦ Contact three references and review their past work,◦ Insist on a detailed written contract,◦ Limit your down payment to 30% of the total cost,◦ Do not let payments get ahead of work,◦ Do not pay 100% of the bill until the job is 100%

complete and you are satisfied with the work,◦ Do not pay cash. Keep a record of your payments, and◦ Keep a job file of all papers related to your project.


If you feel that you have not received prompt, courteous and satisfactory assistance from your insurance company, contact The Virginia State Corporation Commission Bureau of Insurance.

Commonwealth of Virginia

State Corporation CommissionBureau of Insurance

P.O. Box 1157Richmond, Virginia 23218

(877) 310-6560

In the aftermath of a disaster, consumers are often confronted by marketing scams, deceptive door-to-door sales, home improvement scams and misleading solicitations.

Don’t Let Disaster Strike Don’t Let Disaster Strike TwiceTwice


Licensed solicitors are required to show you their Fairfax County issued license.

The Solicitors License is an individual license, not a business license.

They may solicit only between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.


They may not solicit at a residence which posts a “No Peddlers or Solicitors” sign.

They must leave the premises immediately if you ask them to leave.

If the solicitor does not have a license, call Fairfax County Police immediately to report the violation: 703-691-2131.


Many representatives from various agencies will be out doing whatever they can to help the community get back to normal. Con artists may be out there posing as:

o Government employees;o Building inspectors;o Repairmen;o Public utility employees, ando Insurance agents. Never let anyone into your home without first

asking for identification and checking it out.


Watch out for: Strangers arriving at your door offering to do

repairs; Solicitors saying “We’ve just finished a job nearby

and have material left over so we can do the job at a low price.”

Contractors with no physical address and only an answering service or pager;

Contractors who refuse to give written estimates, contracts, or references;

High pressure sales tactics or someone who tries to rush you into a decision, and

Require a large down payment or full payment before the job is completed.

Virginia Home Solicitation Virginia Home Solicitation Sales ActSales Act

The Virginia Home Solicitation Sales Act applies if you are solicited to purchase goods or services at your residence.

It also applies if you contact a business who comes to your residence and the contract for goods or services is executed in your home.

As a consumer in Virginia, you have the right to cancel a home solicitation contract until the third business day after the purchase.

To cancel this transaction, mail or deliver a signed and dated copy of this cancellation notice or any other written notice, or send a telegram to (name of seller), at (address of seller) no later than midnight of (date). I hereby cancel this transaction.(Date)_______ (Buyer’s Signature)____________

Within 10 days after a home solicitation sale has been canceled or voided, the seller must refund any payments made by the buyer.

The Contract May Not be The Contract May Not be Canceled if:Canceled if: The buyer requests the seller to provide

goods or services without delay because of an emergency;

The buyers emergency request clearly states in writing that the buyer understands that he is waiving his right to cancel the sale;

The performance of the contract has begun by the seller before the buyer gives notice of cancellation;

The goods are not in as good condition as when they were received by the buyer.

12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 433Fairfax, Virginia 22035703-222-8435 TTY 711

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/[email protected]


protecting your home before and after a natural disaster or emergency: what consumers need to know

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