Read FEMA's letter to "lowballed" Sandy policyholders

For thousands of Shore homeowners who believe they were cheated by their flood-insurance provider after superstorm Sandy, Monday marked a new beginning.

That's when the first batch of claim-review letters were sent out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to policyholders who filed a flood-insurance claim after Sandy. Many of the intended recipients were unsatisfied with how their insurance paid out.

"(FEMA's) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is offering you the opportunity to have your Hurricane Sandy flood insurance file reviewed if you believe that we underpaid your claim," the first line of the letter reads. The Asbury Park Press obtained a copy of the letter from FEMA.

By mid-June, more than 140,000 letters will be mailed, with half going to New Jersey mailboxes. Receipt of the letter is not necessary to starting the review process, according to U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.

"By simply submitting a new request to FEMA online or by phone — even prior to receiving a letter — Sandy victims can opt for a review," Smith said in a statement.

Many Sandy-affected homeowners on the Shore spent months fighting their insurers — about 800 New Jerseyans still are — over what they perceived to be lowball payouts for the damage that was revealed when the storm surge receded.

But there wasn't any momentum to review Sandy claims until evidence emerged of a potentially widespread scheme that FEMA is now investigating as possible fraud.

Supervisory personnel at contracted engineering firms were fundamentally changing — without visiting or speaking with an on-site engineer — key inspection reports that insurance companies rely on to determine if a structural damage claim should be paid out. Earth movement or house settling, which are exempt from coverage, were often blamed for damage instead of the storm itself.

In March, FEMA announced that it would develop a process by which to take a second look at every Sandy claim that was paid out at an amount less than the maximum, if the homeowner felt shortchanged. That process begins with the new letter.

From the time the letter arrives, the clock begins ticking.

• Policyholders have 90 days to respond to the letter by calling 1-866-337-4262 or visiting www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy-nfip-claims.

• Individuals who call in to submit a request should have readily available their flood insurance carrier name, policy number at date of loss, date of loss, address of property that was damaged; and current mailing address and telephone number.

• A case worker, who is a certified flood-insurance adjuster, will review your file and any additional information you can provide.

• This adjuster will decide how much, if any, of an additional payment the policyholder should receive. This determination should take no more than 90 days from the day the policyholder submits a request.

• If the policyholder is unhappy with the adjuster's decision, the policyholder can request a neutral third-party to reexamine the evidence.

As of Frkiday, 74,052 NFIP claims had been filed in New Jersey stemming from Sandy damage, according to the Office of Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J, who attended a meeting with FEMA in March organized by Rep. Smith where details about the claims-review process first came to light.

"While the path has been long, windy, and often dark, today we see light at the end of the tunnel as more than 70,000 New Jersey homeowners will get a second chance to be made whole," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., in a joint news release with Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

The order in which the letters will be mailed out, according to Booker and Menendez, is:

Week of May 18

07735, 08008, 08050, 08087, 08203, 08226, 08243, 08723, 08735, 08742, 08751, 08753, 07000, 07001, 07002, 07003, 07004, 07006, 07008, 07015, 07020, 07030, 07032, 07036, 07047, 07052, 07057, 07064, 07065, 07066, 07070, 07071, 07072, 07073, 07074, 07077, 07086, 07087, 07094, 07095, 07105, 07109, 07302, 07305, 07310, 07311, 07452, 07601, 07604, 07643, 07653, 07660, 07666, 07701, 07702, 07711, 07712, 07716, 07717, 07718, 07719, 07720, 07723, 07730, 07732, 07733, 07734, 07737, 07739, 07740, 07748, 07750, 07753, 07756, 07757, 07758, 07760, 07762, 07801, 07825, 07866, 07928, 08005, 08006, 08030, 08037, 08042, 08055, 08058, 08060, 08069, 08070, 08075, 08077, 08080, 08082, 08085, 08088, 08092, 08093, 08201, 08202, 08204, 08205, 08210, 08212, 08215, 08220, 08221, 08223, 08224, 08228, 08232, 08234, 08241, 08244, 08247, 08248, 08251, 08260, 08302, 08311, 08314, 08315, 08321, 08323, 08324, 08330, 08332, 08345, 08349, 08375, 08401, 08402, 08403, 08406, 08620, 08700, 08721, 08722, 08724, 08730, 08731, 08732, 08734, 08736, 08737, 08738, 08739, 08740, 08741, 08750, 08752, 08757, 08758, 08817, 08857, 08861, 08872, 08879, 08882

Week of May 25

07000, 07015, 07061, 07089, 07096, 07200, 07220, 07303, 07364, 07643, 07709, 07715, 07725, 07754, 07763, 07778, 07782, 07839, 08000, 08058, 08200, 08206, 08216, 08219, 08220, 08227, 08229, 08231, 08250, 08253, 08266, 08292, 08315, 08400, 08402, 08404, 08405, 08406, 08470, 08472, 08519, 08571, 08573, 08601, 08712, 08725, 08728, 08735, 08739, 08743, 08751, 08754, 08761, 08775, 08806, 08851, 08855, 08875, 08878, 08940, 08951, 07717, 07734, 07750, 07758, 08226, 08243, 08738, 08740, 08742

Week of June 1

07302, 07735, 08008, 08403, 08736, 07057, 07074, 07086, 07732, 07740, 07756, 07757, 07760, 08006, 08202, 08203, 08248, 08401, 08723, 08753, 08808

Week of June 8

07008, 07020, 07029, 07065, 07070, 07071, 07072, 07073, 07075, 07077, 07094, 07095, 07304, 07305, 07310, 07601, 07606, 07646, 07660, 07711, 07718, 07719, 07720, 07737, 07739, 07762, 08050, 08087, 08232, 08244, 08247, 08260, 08721, 08724, 08730, 08731, 08732, 08734, 08741, 08750, 08752, 08758, 08872, 08882, 07001, 07002, 07003, 07004, 07009, 07013, 07016, 07024, 07026, 07028, 07031, 07032, 07033, 07034, 07035, 07036, 07039, 07040, 07042, 07044, 07047, 07050, 07052, 07054, 07055, 07058, 07060, 07062, 07063, 07064, 07066, 07067, 07068, 07069, 07076, 07078, 07079, 07080, 07081, 07083, 07087, 07088, 07090, 07093, 07104, 07105, 07106, 07109, 07110, 07111, 07112, 07114, 07202, 07203, 07204, 07205, 07206, 07306, 07401, 07405, 07407, 07410, 07417, 07423, 07424, 07435, 07438, 07440, 07442, 07444, 07450, 07452, 07458, 07462, 07463, 07470, 07480, 07481, 07501, 07502, 07508, 07522, 07524, 07603, 07607, 07608, 07621, 07624, 07627, 07631, 07632, 07641, 07642, 07644, 07648, 07650, 07652, 07657, 07661, 07662, 07663, 07666, 07675, 07677, 07701, 07702, 07704, 07712, 07716, 07721, 07722, 07723, 07724, 07726, 07727, 07728, 07730, 07731, 07733, 07738, 07746, 07747, 07748, 07751, 07753, 07755, 07764, 07801, 07803, 07823, 07825, 07827, 07834, 07836, 07842, 07843, 07851, 07853, 07882, 07901, 07920, 07922, 07924, 07928, 07930, 07933, 07935, 07936, 07940, 07960, 07976, 07980, 07981, 08001, 08002, 08003, 08005, 08014, 08016, 08021, 08030, 08031, 08034, 08037, 08042, 08046, 08051, 08052, 08054, 08055, 08057, 08059, 08060, 08062, 08063, 08065, 08068, 08069, 08070, 08074, 08075, 08077, 08079, 08080, 08081, 08084, 08085, 08086, 08088, 08092, 08093, 08094, 08096, 08104, 08105, 08106, 08107, 08109, 08110, 08201, 08204, 08205, 08210, 08212, 08215, 08221, 08223, 08224, 08225, 08230, 08234, 08240, 08241, 08242, 08246, 08251, 08270, 08302, 08311, 08314, 08316, 08320, 08321, 08324, 08329, 08330, 08332, 08343, 08345, 08348, 08349, 08360, 08502, 08505, 08520, 08527, 08534, 08540, 08553, 08559, 08609, 08619, 08629, 08638, 08648, 08691, 08701, 08722, 08733, 08755, 08757, 08759, 08802, 08805, 08807, 08809, 08810, 08812, 08816, 08817, 08820, 08824, 08827, 08830, 08831, 08832, 08833, 08835, 08836, 08837, 08840, 08844, 08846, 08850, 08852, 08854, 08857, 08861, 08873, 08876, 08879, 08889, 08890, 08901, 08902