Photo by Boyd Loving
Insurance can ease stress, and cause it, for property owners struggling to rebuild lives
SATURDAY DECEMBER 22, 2012, 11:40 PM
BY KAREN SUDOL STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD
Dan and Gina McDonnell have been told that their insurance will cover replacement of the floors in their Seaside Heights summer home that was filled with as much as 4 inches from Sandy’s surge.
But the torn fence outside their nearby rental apartment? Not covered. Improvements mandated post-Sandy to storm-proof their air conditioning system? Also not covered.
Navigating the often-frustrating and time-consuming maze of their flood and homeowners’ policies is proving to be a job in itself for the couple, said Gina McDonnell, whose main residence is in Oakland.
“Even though we don’t have as much to do as rebuilding an entire house, there is a lot of red tape to go through and it’s stressful,” she said.
The storm left the couple’s ranch-style summer home on Sumner Avenue in Seaside Heights with as much as 4 inches of brackish water in various rooms. Carpets from three bedrooms and the enclosed front porch were removed and furniture cleared. Many waterlogged items could not be salvaged and were placed curbside.