Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project will be on site at the Pender County Long Term Recovery Group Disaster Preparedness Expo on July 17 to help survivors of Hurricane Florence prepare wills and advanced directives and to provide information about the other disaster-related legal services that the organization offers.  

The expo will take place at the Joint Community Center at 17808 NC Hwy 210 in Rocky Point from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

“Property ownership and estate planning are probably not the first things that come to mind when preparing for hurricane season, but they can be critical factors to recovery after a storm,” said Dale Deese, managing attorney of Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project. “In fact, estate planning documents can provide certainty for you and your heirs if disaster strikes and you end up in an extended recovery process. We are excited to be at the expo to provide this service as well as information about additional ways Legal Aid may be able to help with disaster recovery in Pender County.”  

Legal Aid may be able to draft a simple will or deed on site at the expo for eligible Hurricane Florence survivors who want to make sure that ownership of their home and land is clear and that their home and land will go to the person that they want to inherit it. Legal Aid’s services are free of charge. While walk-ins are welcome, advanced sign up is preferred. Please call Tommy Johnson at (984) 297-1977 or Michelle Green at (910) 623-1933 to sign up and secure a spot.  

Legal Aid is helping survivors of Hurricane Florence access recovery assistance for damage to their homes sustained during the storm, and may also be able to help when other legal issues arise during the recovery process.  For those who would like to learn more about Legal Aid’s services and eligibility, call the Legal Aid helpline at 866-219-5262. 

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About  
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project provides legal assistance and education to survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina and supports community economic development and long-term recovery in disaster-impacted communities.  

To help ensure North Carolinians are prepared for this upcoming hurricane season, Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project is holding free events for Craven and Jones county residents aimed at helping eligible North Carolinians overcome the legal issues that could be a barrier to recovery from a storm.    

“While property ownership and estate planning may not immediately come to mind when thinking about preparing for hurricane season, they can be critical aspects of recovery after a storm,” said Dale Deese, managing attorney of Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project. “These events are a great opportunity to learn more about how Legal Aid can help with disaster recovery and also access some of our services directly at the events.”  

Legal Aid will partner with the Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance on Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Oak Grove United Methodist Church in Havelock for a drop-in informational event focused on heir property, property that has been passed down within families informally and not through a will. Legal Aid representatives will be available at the event to provide general information about how property ownership issues can arise when seeking recovery funds following a storm and can screen individuals on site for eligibility for Legal Aid’s free services. 

On May 22, Legal Aid will partner with The Father’s Refuge to provide estate planning services to survivors of Hurricane Florence. Individuals who are eligible for Legal Aid’s services will be able to get help drafting and executing end-of-life documents such as wills and powers of attorney free of charge. The Father’s Refuge will also be providing food and use of their campgrounds during the event. The event will take place at 9210 Hwy 55 W., Dover, NC 28526 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. While walk-ins are welcome, Legal Aid encourages people to register in advance by calling (984) 297-1977 to reach Legal Aid or (252) 497-8783 to reach Scott Murphy at The Father’s Refuge.  

Both events will take place outdoors, and masks and social distancing will be enforced. 

About 
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project provides legal assistance and education to survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina and supports community economic development and long-term recovery in disaster-impacted communities. Call the Legal Aid NC helpline at 866-219-5262 or visit legalaidnc.org/apply to learn about eligibility for our services and to get Legal Aid’s assistance. 

Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Project is helping survivors of Hurricane Matthew and Florence access recovery assistance for damage to their homes sustained during the storm.

Legal Aid is currently assisting North Carolinians with ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program applications and appeals, and may also be able to help when other legal issues arise during the recovery process.

“Applying for the ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program may not appear to initially be legal in nature, but applicants may encounter issues that Legal Aid can help with,” said Lesley Albritton, managing attorney of Legal Aid’s Disaster Relief Project. “Legal Aid has a disaster relief team with attorneys, paralegals and social workers who have experience with assisting during the recovery process and may be able to help survivors of Florence and Matthew access recovery funds and other resources.”

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) opened applications for the Rebuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program in June to assist homeowners with repairs, reconstruction and/or elevation of storm-damaged homes.

For those applying to the ReBuild NC Homeowner Recovery Program, Legal Aid can help with:

• Filling out and submitting applications
• Online filing for those who do not have internet service or an email address
• Reviewing applications before submission
• Collecting the documents required to accompany an application
• Assisting with any deed or title concerns that come up before submitting your application
• Clarifying past assistance, if an applicant has received assistance from more than one source and is concerned about duplication of benefits

For those who disagree with a decision that they have received, Legal Aid can help by:

• Talking to an applicant’s case manager to better understand a denial/decision
• Assisting with writing an appeal letter
• Helping a client collect additional documentation that may support an appeal

“Our services are free, and we encourage survivors of Matthew and Florence who think we may be able to help to call our helpline at 866-219-5262 to learn more about eligibility and how we may be able to assist with recovery,” said Albritton.

In September 2018, Florence made landfall in N.C. causing significant flooding and wind damage across 34 counties in the state. The storm caused $24 billion dollars in damage, making it one of the ten costliest hurricanes in United States history.

Those interested in Legal Aid’s services should call the Legal Aid helpline at 866-219-5262. Additional disaster relief resources are available the Disaster Relief section of our website.

About

Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers to economic opportunity. The Disaster Relief Project provides legal assistance and education to survivors of natural disasters in North Carolina and supports community economic development and long-term recovery in disaster-impacted communities.

For North Carolinians that are still in the recovery process from a past hurricane and those preparing for the next one, clarifying homeownership is an important aspect of accessing recovery assistance. On September 22 and 23, Legal Aid of North Carolina is hosting free remote information sessions that will discuss how Legal Aid may be able to help with disaster recovery including assisting with clarifying ownership of property.

“Even if someone has been living in the same home their whole life, they may lack the documentation of ownership that many disaster relief organizations and programs require,” said Lesley Albritton, managing attorney of Legal Aid’s disaster relief project. “These information sessions are an opportunity for North Carolinians to learn about how Legal Aid can help during the disaster recovery process.”

Organizations and programs that help with repairs or replacements after a disaster require clear ownership of land. This includes state programs, such as ReBuild NC’s Homeowner Recovery Program. Some kinds of ownership make it harder to get assistance. For example, if someone is living on land owned by a now-deceased parent or grandparent who did not have a will, the fact that the deed is in someone else’s name or that the property has multiple potential heirs may prevent a storm survivor from accessing recovery assistance.

These information sessions will focus on how a person seeking disaster relief assistance can clarify their homeownership. This will include discussing what it means to live on heir property and how creating family trees can help to locate potential co-owners. Legal Aid can help eligible clients clarify ownership in advance of seeking relief assistance.

The information sessions can be accessed through the call-in numbers listed below, or by registering to view it as a video webinar at www.legalaidnc.org/disasterinfo. The presenters will answer general questions at the end of the presentation. Those with specific questions should call the Legal Aid helpline at 866-219-5262 or visit legalaidnc.org/apply to learn about eligibility for Legal Aid’s services and to get assistance.

More information about these information sessions and Legal Aid NC’s other disaster relief work can be found at the Disaster Relief section of our website.