Joplin Homeowners Insurance Resources
The Missouri Department of Insurance has developed an excellent site for Joplin homeowners. The site contains information for over 50 insurance companies and is a great one-stop shop on this subject.
Missouri Department of Insurance
Important Tornado Relief Contact Information Including Phone Numbers
Debris Removal And Your Insurance
If you have homeowner’s insurance that covers debris removal/demolition, you are encouraged to contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to file a claim if you haven’t done so already. Once a claim has been filed, get an estimate from one or more qualified contractors and notify your insurance company with the results. If your policy covers these costs in their entirety, you should hire the contractor to perform the work. In this situation, you do not need to sign the ROE form.
If you do not have homeowner’s insurance, or if your homeowner’s policy does not cover the complete cost of debris removal/demolition, the City urges you to sign the ROE form as soon as possible if you have extensive or catastrophic damage to your home. This will allow government-funded contractors onto your property to remove loose debris. If you do not sign the ROE form and turn it in by June 17th, it will be your responsibility to clean up your property and pay any associated costs.
Insurance Recoupment
The City of Joplin is required to recover insurance proceeds from you if there is coverage under your policy to pay for debris removal. Details on this requirement are set forth in Part 2 – ABCs of Tornado Debris Removal – which is available at Joplin City Hall or on the city’s website at joplinmo.org. This recoupment will take place at a later point in time so be sure to keep all insurance paperwork and correspondence.
Debris Update and Nusiance Identified Properties
Joplin officials said that 665 (as of June 24) residential properties still exist where no steps have been taken to address debris removal, either in action by the property owner or by the property owner signing a right-of-entry form that will allow a cleanup funded by the federal government.
Under the plan, outlined by the city a notice identifying the properties will be published in the newspaper, giving landowners a seven-day notice of a public hearing. Council members will preside in the public hearings, and property owners will be given an opportunity to speak. If council members determine that the property is a nuisance, they will order the nuisance cleared. After the determination, the decision will be published, allowing another seven-day notice period. Right-of-entry forms could be signed at any time in the 14-day notice period.
The City is encouraging homeowners to take care of this issue themselves; either through their insurance or by signing the Right of Entry form. It is not to late to still sign a ROE form and get help from the city. In addressing this public health issue of remaining rubble piles on private residential property, the City will publish a Public Notice in the paper on Tuesday, June 28 for Nuisance Abatement. The Notice will state only the address of the properties. No names will appear in the Notice.
The City is addressing several questions that have arisen from the announcement of the Public Nuisance abatement process. Below are several scenarios to help citizens understand more clearly the progression of cleaning up residential private property.
- If your property is identified as a nuisance by the City of Joplin, and it gets cleared of loose debris through other means by July 13th, citizens should call 417-624-0820, ext. 539 and notify the City of this action. After site verification, City officials will remove the address from this nuisance list, and there will be no special assessment against your property.
- If you are waiting on volunteers to clear your property, and they cannot clear your property by July 13th, please sign the Right-of-Entry form.
- If you have hired a contractor to clear your lot, and they will not be able to clear it by July 13th, you may provide the City with a copy of the contract. Please present a copy of your contract to the Public Works department on the 4th floor of Joplin City Hall, 602 South Main. Or you can fax your contract to Public Works at 417-625-4738. The deadline to have the lot cleared is July 31.
Below is the outline of the nuisance process that has been published in previous releases:
- Notice of each identified property will be published in the local newspaper on Tuesday, June 28. This allows for the seven-day period and gives notice to the property owners of the identified lots of an upcoming public hearing to be held by the City Council.
- The City Council will hold a public hearing after this seven-day period. The Public Hearing is tentatively set for July 6th. Any property owner of an identified nuisance will have the opportunity to participate in the public hearing by attending the council meeting and speaking during the public hearing.
- After the Public Hearing, if the City Council determines a nuisance exists, the Council will order the nuisance abated.
- Following this meeting, there will be an additional publication of the nuisance declarations in the local newspaper, allowing another seven-day notice period after the findings of the public hearing.
- On July 14th, the property nuisance will be turned over to FEMA for the cleanup of the property by the government-funded contractors.
If private property is cleared of loose debris through this nuisance abatement process, the property owner will be responsible for the cleanup cost and a lien against the property through a special tax assessment will be issued. The assessment will be based on the lot size as established in the following 3-tier cost structure:
Lot Size Tax Assessment
Up to 10,000 square feet $1,500.00
10,001 square feet to ½-acre $2,500.00
½-acre and greater $4,000.00
Call me at 1-800-689-6001 or email me: info@203kkc.com with your questions.
