Protecting Your Home Before and After a Natural Disaster or Emergency: What Consumers Need to Know

1. Protecting Your Home Before andProtecting Your Home Before and
After a Natural Disaster orAfter a Natural Disaster or
EmergencyEmergency
What Consumers Need to KnowWhat Consumers Need to Know
Consumer Affairs Branch
Fairfax County Department of
Cable and Consumer Services
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

2.  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.

3.  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

4.  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
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

5.  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 YouWhat You Should Do if You
Suffer a LossSuffer a Loss

6.  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 YouWhat You Should Do If You
Suffer A LossSuffer A Loss
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

7.  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 YouWhat You Should Do If You
Suffer A LossSuffer A Loss
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

8. 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.

9. fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer
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 Commission
Bureau of Insurance
P.O. Box 1157
Richmond, Virginia 23218
(877) 310-6560

10.  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 StrikeDon’t Let Disaster Strike
TwiceTwice
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

11. fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

12.  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.
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

13.  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.
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

14.  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, and
o Insurance agents.
 Never let anyone into your home without first asking
for identification and checking it out.
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer

15. 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.

17. Virginia Home Solicitation SalesVirginia Home Solicitation Sales
ActAct
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.

18.  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.

19. The Contract May Not beThe 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.

20. 12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 433
Fairfax, Virginia 22035
703-222-8435 TTY 711
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer
consumer@fairfaxcounty.gov
fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer