Database Provides Information on 31,000 Flood and Salvage-Titled Vehicles

The state urges customers to consult the database before buying a car

The State Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) and Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) are urging all customers to consult their database of flood and salvage-titled vehicles before purchasing a car. That database now provides information on 31,000 such vehicles, the State MVC announced on Wednesday. It isn't illegal to sell vehicles with flood or salvaged titles. However, there are specific requirements that ensure potential purchasers are aware of the status of such vehicles, according to the MVC. “Damage sustained by vehicles must be disclosed to prospective buyers,” Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said. “We will hold car dealers accountable for violating our Consumer Fraud Act if they fail to make such disclosures.” The database was …

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5 Billion Gallons of Sewage Overflowed to N.J. Post-Sandy, Report Says

18 of 20 largest sewage spills in the northeast were reported in New Jersey and New York.

New Jersey saw approximately 5.1 billion gallons of untreated or partially treated sewage flow into waterways in the weeks and months following Superstorm Sandy, according to new data released by Climate Central. In total, the eight states hardest-hit by the storm had 11 billion gallons flow into canals, rivers and bays. "To put that in perspective, 11 billion gallons is equal to New York’s Central Park stacked 41 feet high with sewage, or more than 50 times the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The vast majority of that sewage flowed into the waters of New York City and northern New Jersey in the days and weeks during and after the storm," the Climate Central report said. Data included in the report was compiled from state agencies and …

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Limits on Adjusters' Fees Would Save Homeowners in a Disaster

Bipartisan Muñoz -Brammick legislation would limit public adjusters' fees during a Hurricane Sandy-type catastrophe

Public adjusters’ fees related to a catastrophic loss would be limited to 10 percent of an insurance claim settlement under bipartisan legislation approved today by the General Assembly. The bill, A-3519, is sponsored by Assemblywoman Nancy F. Muñoz and Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, both R-Union, Morris and Somerset. “Homeowners and business owners deserve appropriate settlements after a catastrophe,” Muñoz said. “We can protect victims who have suffered a horrific loss and preserve fair compensation for the public adjusters who represent them.” New Jersey has no cap in place and by some accounts adjusters charged as much as 50 percent after Superstorm Sandy. “A cap shields policyholders from unscrupulous adjusters,” Bramnick …

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Clark, Garwood Residents Report More Than $6M in Sandy-Related Losses

An interactive map, produced by NJ Spotlight, breaks down insurance costs by town following Hurricane Sandy.

An interactive map, produced by New Jersey Spotlight and published late last week, provides a complete breakdown of every insurance claim paid in New Jersey since Hurricane Sandy by town, giving further insight into the totality of losses suffered during the late-October storm.   Information from color-coded map was compiled using the most recent data from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI). Based on the most recent data, Clark incurred $5,142,808 in losses with $4,672,873 paid. A total of 1,045 claims were filed, with 707 paid and 258 closed without payment. Garwood incurred $1,214,509 in losses with $1,066,353 paid. A total of 186 claims were filed, with 154 paid and 49 closed without payment. To view the map, …

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Garwood Resident Rescued Stranded Surfer as Sandy Hit

John Todisco's boat was in the right place at the right time to make an at-sea rescue.

John Todisco was just trying to get his boat docked safely before Hurricane Sandy hit in late October 2012. Little did Todisco know, he'd soon be a hero, picking up a stranded surfer off the coast of Sea Bright on the Sunday before the hurricane made landfall in New Jersey. "My boat was docked in Sea Bright and because of the location I was concerned about dock, so I had to get boat out of there," Todisco told Patch. "I found a place in Pt. Pleasant to dock it but I had to get it there. I knew the storm was coming and I knew it wasn’t full strength yet. I decided I'd attempt the run and if it was bad I would go back." Todisco said he typically doesn't have the marine radio on when he's out boating, but for some reason, on this day he did…

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Sandy Aid May Drop in Sequester, Menendez Says

Bloomberg news: About $1 billion may be taken from Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster-relief funds

Across-the-board federal spending cuts that began yesterday may block as much as $2.5 billion in Hurricane Sandy relief for New York and New Jersey, according to the Garden State’s junior U.S. senator, according to Bloomberg. About $1 billion may be taken from Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief funds, the main source for FEMA help for individuals and communities, said Paul Brubaker, a spokesman for Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, according to Bloomberg. Bloomber reported that another $1.5 billion may be held out of block grants and transportation funding, Brubaker said. More can be found here.

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Christie: Don't Wait to Elevate, Rebuild; Grant Money on the Way

Governor: Don't listen to 'dopes' saying to hold off.

Gov. Chris Christie took a stand this week against public officials and community leaders calling on residents to wait for potential changes to Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps before elevating or rebuilding their homes in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Christie, speaking in Lavallette Tuesday, said the state's adoption of FEMA's advisory base flood elevation maps last month will ensure residents build smarter and stronger, and avoid the consequences that came in Sandy's storm surge. "Fight away, I'm fighting too, but don't tell people not to rebuild their homes if they want to," said Christie. "Don't we want people in safer homes and more resilient homes?" Some have called on residents to wait for FEMA to put out revised, …

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Pubs Pouring 'FU Sandy' Draft for Hurricane Victims

All proceeds from merchandise and beer sales benefit storm charities.

Pub dwellers can raise a pint and raise money for superstorm Sandy victims with the debut of FU Sandy draft. The hybrid white ale (the FU stands for Forever Unloved, of course) is a special brew created by New Jersey's own Flying Fish Brewing Co. All proceeds are dedicated to Sandy-related charities, and Flying Fish hopes to raise at least $50,000 from beer and merchandise sales. Flying Fish founder Gene Muller said the brewery "knew immediately that we wanted to do something to help" after Sandy struck, the Huffington Post reports. "Every single aspect of this beer, from the man-hours spent brewing it to the hops used to season it to the kegs that will contain it, has been donated so every cent brought in goes to superstorm Sandy victims…

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Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy Con Artist Spent Weeks Fooling Shelter Officials

Victims of Hurricane Sandy weren't the only ones taken in by David Scott Ruddy. A shelter survivor was the one who turned Ruddy in after officials ignored her pleas.

When David Scott Ruddy was arrested in Woodbridge for allegedly flimflamming Hurricane Sandy victims out of $50,000 in FEMA funds, there was one person who not only knew who he was, but had been calling and warning officials about him for months. That was Kathleen Marchitto, who met Ruddy first at a shelter put up at an Old Bridge school, and then later when she and other hurricane victims were moved to the Red Cross shelter set up at Livingston College of Rutgers University in Piscataway. Marchitto, whose South River apartment was flooded during the October hurricane, was at the Livingston College shelter for three weeks, and for the entire time she was there, Ruddy was there. "I knew there was something about him I didn't like. He was …

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Paul Heyman

2:47 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013

mr pubic lice as usual your lack of understanding of the constitution is laughable.   more ›

County Manager Announces $120 Annual Tax Hike For Average Homeowners in 2013

Despite decreased revenue in Union County's $506 million spending plan, officials managed to close a $28 million budget gap, according to a letter to the freeholder board by County Manager Alfred Faella.

The following is a letter written by Union County Manager Alfred J. Faella to members of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, regarding the 2013 Executive Budget. Dear Freeholders: We are now at the beginning of a second year of what is a multi-year budgetary turnaround, as we have closed an approximate $28 million budget gap.  Overall, the County appears to have stemmed the tide of eroding revenue collections in line with the national recovery, while taking long term steps to create new revenue streams, and implement proactive measures controlling our costs for future budgets. This year, we have turned our attention to the completion of several areas identified in last year’s executive budget for reform: Runnells Specialized …

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Nota Whistleblower

8:22 pm on Sunday, April 14, 2013

hear, hear!!!! And, they should stop playing games with the Unemployment numbers..... It's 9.5 % in NJ and has been lowering Nationwide???? It's only because people ran out of their unemployment benefits and cannot find a job!   more ›