Local agencies and property owners must prepare for the rainy season The City of Santa Rosa and the County of Sonoma continue to encourage residents living in and around the areas burned by the Sonoma Complex Fires to prepare their property for the rainy season and remain alert for possible threats from intense winter storms....
Use the links below to see flow charts that illustrate insurance policies with specified and unspecified amounts of debris removal coverage and different sample scenarios. Specified Amounts Unspecified Amounts
1. What is the County’s role in the debris removal insurance collection process? In exchange for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assisting the City of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma (County) with debris removal following the October 2017 wildfires through the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program, the County is responsible for collecting information...
Each property owner will receive an email from recoveryinfo@sonoma-county.org with a link to an online folder containing the invoice that was sent to their insurance company and other debris related documents. If you did not receive this email, contact recoveryinfo@sonoma-county.org and include your property address and APN.
This is not a complete list of possible statements. Homeowners may submit a statement in their own words explaining why their full debris insurance funds are not being paid to the County of Sonoma. FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED INSURANCE FUNDS TO THE COUNTY I have received funds for debris removal from my...
When a property owner would submit a Debris Insurance Withholding Form: If a property owner is retaining any of their debris removal insurance funds for any reason (the policy allows the money to be used for rebuilding or purchasing a replacement home, the property owner has not confirmed the property does not need further debris...
If the property owner incurred additional expenses for debris removal, or for repairs to their property as a result of the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program, they should submit a Request for Reimbursement Form and documentation and receipts for the necessary work. If the policy has a specified amount for debris removal, and the property owner...
If a property owner has been paid their debris insurance proceeds by their insurance company and is turning over the entire insurance payment to the County, he/she should submit it with an Insured Statement, confirming that the payment is the full insurance payment. Click here for the Insured Statement Form. Click here for Sample Wording...
Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Insurance Collection Process As part of Sonoma County accepting the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s assistance with debris removal after the 2017 fires, FEMA requires the County to: Collect and remit applicable homeowner’s insurance proceeds to CalOES or the Federal Government to prevent duplication of benefits as provided in the Stafford Act, and...
Property owners who participated in the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program can submit forms and other documentation related to debris removal insurance. Complete the Insured Statement, Debris Insurance Reimbursement Request Form or Debris Insurance Withholding Form, whichever is appropriate. Property owners can expect to receive reimbursement in about 30 days after submitting all necessary documentation and...
The table below provides general guidelines on how the two types of policies would handle various scenarios. It is a general guideline, and property owners are not to rely on the information for accuracy as to their specific policy. Fire survivors should work with their insurance carriers to obtain accurate information as to their specific...
County of Sonoma Debris Insurance Collection Program Office of Recovery and Resiliency staff are working remotely as part of the County of Sonoma's steps to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Staff are checking email and available to talk on the phone during normal business hours. Property owners who wish to talk with Recovery...
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Debris Insurance Collection Process The County’s Debris Insurance Collection Program has suspended in-person appointments in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect employees and the community. Office of Recovery and Resiliency staff are working remotely as part of the County of Sonoma's steps to limit the spread of the novel...
Duplication of benefits refers to assistance from more than one source that is used for the same activity. In this instance, a duplication of benefits would occur if a property is cleared by FEMA and the property owner was paid by their insurance company for the removal of that debris (the same activity). A duplication...
You should work with your insurance company to determine the available insurance funds that are designated for debris removal coverage in your policy. These funds are referred to as “debris removal designated insurance.” If you need additional assistance, you can contact the California Department of Insurance (800-927-4357; http://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/index.cfm), United Policyholders (415-393-9990; http://uphelp.org) or Sonoma County...
It depends how funds designated for debris removal are handled in your policy. You should consult with your insurance carrier to determine these amounts and how and when they are paid (see question #3). Generally, homeowner policies provide debris removal coverage in one of two ways: Specified or Separate Amount: Some policies include debris removal...
No. The only money the County will collect on behalf of the State and Federal government is insurance proceeds designated for debris removal, less any offsetting expenses (see question #6).
You may use your insurance proceeds to cover expenses for work related to additional debris removal, or for repairs required on your property resulting from the debris removal process (offsetting expenses). You should submit documentation supporting your additional expenses (see Instructions at https://www.sonomacountyrecovers.org/debris-removal/). If there are any designated debris removal insurance funds remaining after you...
The County has received a cost report from CalOES/FEMA that is a breakdown of charges for debris removal per parcel. Based on the information in the cost report, the County has prepared a per-parcel invoice to submit to every insurance company and copied to every property owner. The information in the cost notice is identical...
The County is invoicing all insurance companies based on cost reports received from CalOES/FEMA for each individual property, and all property owners will get a copy. In addition, the County is requesting insurance companies provide the following information for each policy that insured a property that participated in the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program: A copy...
