Left Out By Frank Capece “No Answers Provided”

        Assemblyman Jerry Green sat on the dias at Union College last week showing a growing level of simmering as County residents spoke on the post Sandy efforts to restore their homes.  A joint meeting was sponsored by Assemblyman Jon Bramnick and the County Freeholders bringing out representatives of the State Department of Banking and Insurance, a professional adjuster, fellow Legislators and a bevy of people from FEMA.

        The County residents brought forth terrible tales of trees falling on their houses, inability to get assistance at the one help center located in Springfield and the complexities of insurance policies.  Bramnick serving as a moderator moved along at a brisk pace.  The state representative and the adjuster gave a good account of what to expect when attempting to recover money.

        After listening to the difficulties FEMA personnel had in answering the most basic of questions Green had enough.  His district which runs from Linden through Clark and Rahway to Plainfield still had people without power living in devastation.  Maybe it was just that the representatives sounded like lecturing in a course in business law 103, but Green was hitting back.  He laid it out on the line that “no answers were being provided.”

        The next morning reflecting on his criticism he said, “Look these were intelligent people asking pointed questions and not getting answers.”  Actually Green provided a good of answers himself the night before.  He reminded the insurance representatives, that as Chairman of an Assembly Committee that oversees housing issues, he was expecting satisfactory assistance to be provided to the residents.

        For homeowners, over the initial hit of Sandy the battles with adjusters and insurance companies for assistance had just begun.  Green wasn’t at all happy with the legalistic distinctions drawn between wind blown water damage and flooding. He was pleased that the County Freeholders were pushing for more emergency centers beyond just Springfield.

        Green also had some answers for unsavory out of state adjusters.  He intends to introduce legislation capping their fees in battles with insurance companies at 10%.  This is the amount local adjusters have argued is fair.  For the insurance companies who will have to deal with Green in the future, considering his safe election district Green also has some answers.  “Look these companies are dealing with people at their most vulnerable time.  I don’t intend to let the companies forget that fact.”

        Green also said he would study a January 2012 decision by Union County Superior Court Judge Regina Caulfield.  In that case after hurricane Irene, a Cranford resident awoke to find a 60 foot oak tree on his back lawn.  After hearing the case, citing existing case law from the State Appellate Division, Caulifield wrote, “Liability cannot be imposed on the owner of the tree without proof of some negligence or intentional.”  The translation is, when your neighbor’s tree falls on your lawn, call your insurance    company.
        The week got more curious when it was announced that ex U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, now a New York resident had been named to the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund and will serve as an adviser.  For the people who battle the parking woes at Union College last week to get answers to their needs, the betting here is that more help is coming from the efforts of Green, Bramnick and the County Freeholders.