If you were affected by the floods after Hurricane Matthew and have questions about legal issues such as home repair contracts, working with contractors, replacing wills and other legal documents that were lost or severely damaged, you now have access to a toll-free legal aid hotline.
The number to call is 800-662-7407. The hotline is available weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There are some limitations on disaster legal services. For example, assistance is not available for cases that will produce a fee (i.e., those cases where fees are paid as part of the settlement by the court). Such cases are referred to a lawyer referral service. To determine whether an issue qualifies for free legal assistance, survivors may call 800-662-7407.
Disaster Legal Services provides assistance to low-income individuals who, prior to or because of the disaster, have little recourse to legal services as a consequence of the disaster.
When you call the hotline you should identify yourself as a survivor seeking Hurricane Matthew-related legal assistance. Ask for Disaster Legal Services, and say which county you live in. If you qualify for assistance you will be matched with North Carolina lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal help.
Other examples of legal help available include:
- Assistance with FEMA and other government benefits available
- Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims
- Assisting in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures
- Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems
- Counseling on landlord/tenant problems
- Obtaining proof of ownership of a damaged home
The service is a partnership between the North Carolina Bar Association, Legal Aid of North Carolina, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, and FEMA.
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Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362 or TTY at 800-462-7585.
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. Follow FEMA on twitter at @femaregion4. Download the FEMA app with tools and tips to keep you safe before, during, and after disasters.
Dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162 to speak with a trained call specialist about questions you have regarding Hurricane Matthew; the service is free, confidential and available in any language. They can help direct you to resources. Call 5-1-1 or 877-511-4662 for the latest road conditions or check the ReadyNC mobile app, which also has real-time shelter and evacuation information. For updates on Hurricane Matthew impacts and relief efforts, go to ReadyNC.org or follow N.C. Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook. People or organizations that want to help ensure North Carolina recovers can visit NCdisasterrelief.org or text NCRecovers to 30306.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private non-profit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations. For more information, applicants may contact SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling (800) 659-2955, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster. Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals may call (800) 877-8339.