(FORT MYERS, Fla) - Hurricane Ian’s devasting aftermath left a retired Vietnam veteran to deal with extensive roof, carpentry, and electrical repairs to the home he owned. A year later after most of the repairs were completed, his insurance issued a check for the repairs made out to him and his mortgage company. The mortgage company held onto the funds, leaving our client to with over $94,000 in contractor bills.

Without almost $100,000 on hand to make payments, he had a lien placed on his home and the contractors were ready to sue and/or send his debt to collections. That’s when the elderly veteran reached out for help from Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS). Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide.

FRLS's team knew how serious this situation was for our client, a senior citizen with a fixed income, who was now facing the possibility of losing his home due to predatory lending practices after a disaster. Our attorneys worked to provide necessary documentation to the mortgage company and negotiated to get back the funds.

In situations like this, mortgage companies will apply the insurance proceeds based on the terms of the loan agreement. Usually, mortgage companies will deposit the insurance proceeds into an escrow account and then issue payments to fund the repair costs, but in some cases, they will apply the proceeds to the outstanding debt rather than pay for the repair.

The advocate working on the case was able to secure every penny of the withheld funds for our client. With contractors needing to be paid over a year after they completed their work, and new repairs coming to surface, our client needed this win to keep making progress on his road to recovery after Hurricane Ian.

Even years after a disaster, legal issues like this one can still arise. Dont face them alone. Contact FRLS to see if you qualify for our free disaster legal services at 1-888-582-3410.

About Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS)

Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc. (FRLS) is a non-profit law firm that provides free civil legal aid to qualified individuals, families, and vulnerable communities across 13 Florida counties and to farmworkers statewide. Since 1966, FRLS has pursued justice by providing legal services in
housing law, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, elder law, disaster relief, education law, tax advocacy, and more, all at no cost to our clients. FRLS collaborates with community organizations and pro bono attorneys to deliver quality advocacy, outreach, and education designed to protect the rights of those in need. For over 50 years, FRLS has been a steadfast advocate for justice. Learn more at www.FRLS.org.