ATLANTA — Heavy rain and strong winds from storms are expected to cause damage to houses across metro Atlanta. Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray breaks down what you need to know before starting any repairs.
Allison Gentry, who lives in Tyrone, shared her experience dealing with storm damage last spring.
“Every day. You could count on several people coming a day. They just go door to door, and I would always, you know, just say, I’m not interested,” Gentry said.
Gentry agreed to let one of those contractors inspect her roof after a storm caused damage. She signed what looked like a simple, one-page document.
“Well, lo and behold, there’s a ton of fine print on the back of the paper, and they never show you the backside of the paper. It’s on a clipboard. I had no idea there was all this fine print on the backside, and it said that I owe $3,500,” Gentry said.
Shady contractors often flood storm-damaged neighborhoods after severe weather. Channel 2 consumer advisor Clark Howard warns homeowners to be cautious.
“Those storm chasers are chasing your wallet,” Howard said.
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Howard advises doing thorough research before making any significant repairs.
“After we have damage from a storm, we want everything back like it was in a second, and people take advantage of us on that,” Howard said.
Georgia’s Insurance Commissioner recommends documenting and photographing all property damage caused by severe weather. Do not attempt significant or permanent repairs without proper assessment. Be aware of scammers who prey on storm victims.
If a neighbor’s tree falls on your home, under Georgia’s Fallen Tree Responsibility laws, the responsibility typically falls on the property owner where the tree landed.
“Each party is responsible for the property damage that occurs on their property, with the only exception if the tree was clearly not healthy,” Howard said.
Howard also suggests filing claims with your insurance company only if there is significant damage.
“The key thing is to slow down, do your research before making these big decisions,” Howard said.
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