Hurricane Harvey Victim Successfully Appeals Denial of FEMA Assistance

Cleary Gottlieb successfully represented Ms. B in her appeal of FEMA’s determination that she was not eligible for federal assistance.

Ms. B is a resident of Texas whose home, in addition to most of her personal belongings, were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

FEMA initially rejected Ms. B’s request for aid on the basis that she had homeowners’ insurance; however, upon investigation, the Cleary team learned that Ms. B’s insurance policy had lapsed because the mortgage company responsible for forwarding her monthly premium payments to the insurance company had ceased to do so without notifying her.

As a result, FEMA reversed its initial decision and awarded Ms. B over $32,000 to help her repair the damage to her home, which is nearly the maximum FEMA awards to any single household under such conditions. With this aid, Ms. B will be able to replace her personal belongings, repair her home, and move back in.