Two years later

Still not home after Sandy

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I’ll be home for Christmas. Two Seaford residents — one a disabled veteran and the other a disabled 9/11 New York City firefighter — are hoping to be back in their homes by Christmas. Bob Neeman of Sands Lane and Stephen Conklin of Somerset Drive in south Seaford lost all their worldly possessions in Hurricane Sandy two years ago but are still battling a mountain of bureaucratic red tape that has left them without the financial resources to finish rebuilding their homes.

“We got slammed and now we’re stuck,” Neeman said. The Herald first interviewed Neeman in January, more than a year after the storm hit. At the time, eight out of the 11 families who lived on Sands Lane were out of their homes. Two families are still waiting to hear from New York Rising to determine their settlement. The other six families, including Neeman’s, have decided to either rebuild or leave. The New York Rising Housing Recovery program was put in place in 2013 to help homeowners close the gap between what the National Flood Insurance Program, available through Neeman’s insurance company, would provide for Sandy damage and the actual cost to rebuild a home.

But the process has been “very slow and painful,” said Neeman. “My cash flow is at a standstill and I don’t have the money to finish the project.”

Neeman needs $260,000 to rebuild his home. He had a $250,000 flood insurance policy issued through the Hartford Insurance Company that paid out $100,000. He was denied the full amount of his policy because of earth movement — a clause in the flood insurance policy that says damage caused by the movement of soil or earth, even if the movement is the result of flooding, is not eligible for coverage. He also received $60,000 from New York Rising. “I’m still short $100,000,” Neeman said, explaining that to complicate matters, “the bank is entitled to hold 45 percent of my settlement until the house is finished.”

Neeman has been unsuccessful in either securing a bridge loan or in re-financing his mortgage. He is now trying to work with Catholic Charities to see if they might be able to help him acquire a loan. Additionally, Neeman put up his savings, $70,000, to move the project along. “Now I learned my contractor hasn’t paid the subcontractors,” he said. “He’s not returning my calls and left me in the middle. Another thing I have to deal with.”

Conklin has also suffered numerous setbacks since the storm. The Herald interviewed him in October 2013, just as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that homeowners would be fully compensated for repair costs for damage to their homes through the New York Rising Housing Recovery Program. Conklin’s 1,900-square-foot home had extensive damage and had to be torn down.

Like Neeman, Conklin was denied the full coverage on his $250,000 flood insurance policy because of earth movement. He received $108,000 from his policy and, after months of fighting with New York Rising and filing supplemental claims, received $53,000. Like Conklin, the mortgage company is holding part of his award until the work is finished.

Additionally, Conklin is filing another supplemental claim for $10,000 because of a toxic spill. Home heating oil tanks that were in a neighbor’s yard spilled during the storm. “One hundred gallons of oil saturated my home,” Conklin said. “You couldn’t breath in there. The DEC was down here and the Department of Health. It was a mess.”

Despite the extensive damage, his neighbor’s insurance — Lloyds of London — managed to get out of paying any money to the Conklins. “I had to remove my house and replace it,” Conklin said.

He began rebuilding his home but has been mired in paperwork. “It’s a nightmare,” Conklin said. “New York Rising insists that before money is released, you get estimates from contractors. I can’t get estimates. Contractors walk away. Then they tell you that you’re not moving fast enough and to take out a loan.”

Conklin is also battling the Small Business Administration, which provides low interest loans to help residents rebuild. “It’s a legalized collection agency,” Conklin said. “I was told there was a duplication of benefits and my award was reduced. I am now paying off a $6,000 loan.”

Both Conklin and Neeman say they will persevere.

“Sometimes I feel like I live in a third-world country,” Conklin said. “This is not America. But I’m determined to go home, no matter what it takes.”

“It’s been two years,” added Neeman. “New York Rising is supposed to help you, but you’re on your own. But I’m getting there. I want to be in by Christmas.”