FEMA Again Denies $30K National Flood Insurance Claim as 'Not Good'

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A couple from Ruskin is seeking answers as to why a $30,000 settlement check from the National Flood Insurance Program, managed by FEMA, did not go through for a second time at their bank.

Robert Paul and his spouse initially contacted Better Call Behnken about a week ago, mentioning that their house had been completely destroyed following Hurricane Helene, and their insurance claim was swiftly accepted. They were expecting the initial compensation check for $30,000 which finally arrived in March but turned out to be invalid.

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Following calls from Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken, the Pauls were informed that there was a problem due to NFIP having recently switched banks. They were advised to attempt depositing the check once more. However, when they did so, their bank still rejected the check as invalid.

When we sent it back again, it was still deemed unsuitable," Paul explained. "Now the bank informed us that they won’t process it once more." He continued, "They’ll require a brand-new check instead. Out of all the tens of thousands of individuals who submitted claims—assuming based on the extent of the damages—I can't understand why this issue would happen exclusively to me?

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A representative from FEMA stated that they are unable to provide comments on this particular case due to confidentiality issues. In contrast, Paul mentioned that he was informed on Tuesday evening that a fresh check is en route and is expected to be delivered sometime this week.

Since the September hurricane, the Pauls haven't been able to reside in their home and have not been capable of starting repairs without receiving the insurance settlement.

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