Good morning HCTA members:
We have some new information and some updates for you.
First let me clarify that we are not presently local in Harvey Cedars. We are recieving our information from the Borough, thru our own outreach to the County and our personal connections with local emergency personnel. We cannot go by your house to check it or your belongings for you. We understand your frustration. We ALL are worried about our homes, our belongings and our neighbors. We will let you know as soon as we receive factual confirmation (not speculation) as to when homeowners-with proof of ownership- we be allowed to re-enter the island and we will continue to update you as we get any information that may be of service to us all. Let’s move on to that information and updates:
*For those that elected to stay on the Island, there is 6 PM to 6 AM curfew.
*Water: HC has water, but no power or sewer. Advisory from the PD: Be advised this is a Boil Water Emergency Alert. All tap water for drinking purposes MUST be boiled until further notice. As a side note HC is getting its water from BL. This was happening prior to Sandy as HC’s well pump was being worked on.
*Voting: On a new tip from a resident, I called the election board this morning. Here is the updated voter information for those registered in Ocean County and who have yet to vote. You can still go to the Ocean County Administration Building located at 101 Hooper Avenue in Toms River to vote if that is closer for you. Today, the OC Board of elections has opened an additional polling place at the Southern Ocean Resource Center at 179 S Main Street in Stafford. ( 732-929-2167). You will be handed a ‘mail in ballot’ (used to be called an absentee ballot) which you will fill in and hand right back. The deadline for mail on ballots to be received for counting is Monday at 3PM. Their hours are: Today/Thurs and Friday 8am to 9pm. Sat/Sun 9am to 4pm and Monday 8am to 3pm. As I type this, I am wondering if residents are able to leave the island to go vote- Will they let you return? I will try to find the answer to this question.
*Filing an Insurance claim? Here’s what to do as paraphrased from a Wall Street Journal article forward to me by Trustee Saul Ellman:
Tips on filing storm-related claims.
-When allowed on the Island, take “reasonable” steps to protect your property from additional damage. Save receipts for all expenditures.
-If relocation is needed, keep those receipts, too. Regular homeowners insurance provides coverage for the cost of additional living expenses if a home is damaged by an insured disaster, such as wind damage or a tree that fell through the roof.
-Prepare for the adjuster’s visits. The insurance company may send you a proof-of-loss form to complete, or an adjuster may visit the home first. The more detail provided, the faster the claim can be settled.
-Keep everything, including damaged items, until the adjuster has visited. Photographing or videotaping the damage may help.
Finally, we have a newer arial video of HC (plus you can check out surrounding towns on this link) taken from News6. To view, please click on the link: http://www.abclocal.go.com/wpvi/feature?section=news&id=8867387 or visit the HCTA website at Harveycedarstax.org to view. This update will be posted under the “Current Taxpayer Issues and News” header. Additionally, our IT guy Andrew created an ‘After Sandy’ photo file overnight. To view these photos, please click on the PHOTOS tab at the top of the home page.
Stay safe, try to have a good day and we will post more information as it becomes available and I have time. (SL)
The HCTA