[FoCHAT] CHAT Update 12/10/07

Mon Dec 10 14:13:31 PST 2007

Updates and links to the documents mentioned below are at CHAT's website: see http://chat.thinknola.com for more information
  Two New and Much Better Policies for the Road Home Program Were Just Released to CHAT Leaders  First New Policy: Help for Applicants about Louisiana Certified Appraisals    
   All LA certified appraisals from homeowners have to be recorded and used if they pass a quality test (Field Review Appraisals) 

   This first new policy about LA certified appraisals bought by homeowners will help many applicants and can be read by clicking here) 

   If your LA certified appraisal was more than 20% higher than Road Home’s determination of your home’s pre-storm value, it can no longer be ignored. Instead, it will be subject to a standard Field Review Appraisal by a LA certified appraiser paid for by the Road Home.
This will be to check its accuracy. If it passes the test, it will be used instead of Road Home’s pre-storm value. 

   CHAT has been the group pushing for this policy for many months 

   This policy has been in effect since the second week of November and can be read by clicking here 

   If after Nov. 15, the Road Home Program is not recording the LA certified appraisal that you paid for, click here to take our survey and record the details of your award letter, phone and email contact, and your attempt to submit your appraisal after Nov. 15, when the new policy below went into effect; CHAT will try to follow up on this 

   Previous but little know policy that is still in effect for those in appeals (not dispute resolution) who are contesting Road Home’s pre-storm value: 

   If you cannot get your own LA certified appraisal for your home and are appealing a mistaken pre-storm value in your award, Road Home is supposed to provide you with one according to regulation CPE49E from Jan. 2007   
   Click here to read CP49E Certification Insurance_49E_PSV&LA_CertAppraisals_1_14_07”:http://thinknola.com/files/chat/CP_40-44_AssistCenters_47_SelfCertifInsur_49E_PSV&LA_CertAppraisals_1_14_07.pdf   
   Tell ICF that they need to follow CP49E about appeals and pay for a LA certified appraisal for you if you are in appeal about the pre-storm value   
   LA certified appraisals are usually much more detailed and accurate than the pre-storm values provided by Road Home, which typically do not involve a LA certified appraiser and a careful visit to your home to determine its pre-storm value 
  The second new policy (also pushed by CHAT) that will help 1000’s of applicants- starting Jan. 1, the Road Home has to give written documentation    
   They have to give you a written (not just phoned) notice of your grant award 

   They have to give you a written (not just phoned) notice of the outcome of dispute resolution 

   They have to let you see the numbers and information used to calculate your grant so that you can check if it is correct and have it in case you need to appeal the award amount 
  Road Home Program Misery Index- Item for this Week    
   Applicants who have foreclosure of their house because the Road Home Program is much too slow in giving them their grant 

   One applicant spent much money to repair his home based upon the amount of money in his award letter, which was touted by public officials to be “as good as money in the bank; you can show it to the bank.” 

   This applicant struggling to live in his own home again in S. LA was fired from his job and now his mortgage company is repossessing his house 

   He had no more money in the bank to pay the mortgage partly because he trusted that the Road Home was going to give him his promised grant in a reasonable amount of time after receiving his award letter 

   Many Road Home applicants face foreclosure waiting for their grants, their supplementary awards (which have been unfairly stalled for months because of concerns about the shortfall), or for fair resolution of their dispute resolution or appeal about their award 

   If you or someone you know is a Road Home applicant threatened with foreclosure while awaiting a Road Home grant, you can ask Road Home to contact your bank and ask them to give your more time. If this does not work and you would like us to contact LRA for you, send an email describing your situation with application information to chatlra at yahoo.com and put “foreclosure” in the subject. Also, fill out our survey http://chatforfairness.com
  Some Terms To Help You Understand the Road Home Program: see http://chat.thinknola.com   
  For New Orleans Residents: The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) after a public meeting on Nov. 28 in City Hall,to discuss its plan for New Orleans land transferred from the Louisiana Land Trust (formerly called the Road Home Corp.)    
   As CHAT urged according to Principle 19 of the LRA Road Home Statement of Principles adapted from CHAT’s Bill of Road Home Rights much more emphasis on input from New Orleans planning districts and neighborhoods in determining what to do with land acquired by the Road Home Program (Louisiana Land Trust) 

   NORA revised proposal approved by the City Council on 12/6/07 is given at its website: www.noraworks.org; click here

   For CHAT’s recommendations, many of which were just incorporated into the revised NORA proposal, click here (go to our website http://chat.thinknola.com or NORA's www.noraworks.org)
  COX 10 TV and CHAT  Thanks again to COX10 and George Blow for filming an entire CHAT meeting and showing it on TV on the following dates.
Sun., Dec. 2, 4 PM; Mon., Dec. 3, noon; Tues., Dec. 4, 2 PM
Wed., Dec. 5, 1 PM; Thurs., Dec. 6, 4:30 PM; Fri., Dec. 7, noon
Sat., Dec. 8, 11 AM; Sun., Dec. 9, 4:00 PM; Mon. Dec. 10, 2 PM
Tues., Dec. 11, noon; Wed. Dec. 12, 4:30 PM;
Thurs., Dec. 13, noon; Fri. Dec. 14, 8 AM;
Sat., Dec. 15, 3 PM

  If any of you could record this program on DVD and send to me, please email me.

  Best wishes,

  Melanie

  Melanie Ehrlich
  mehrlich8 at yahoo.com
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