Well, it looks like Equifax just got hacked. The "credit reporting agency" says it may have affected 143 million people. That is essentially 2/3rd of the people in this country with credit.
According to Bloomberg, Equifax is "also offering free credit-file monitoring and identify-theft protection." That last part - identity thef protection - Heh.
Who do they report identity theft to? That is the question
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Some Post Harvey Thoughts
Right after a disaster, the cockroaches come out in droves. In this case, by cockroaches, I mean scammers, thieves, and all around bad folks.
I will get back to the bad guys in just a minute. If your home was damaged by Harvey, before you do anything else, take photos of all of the damage you find. Then, make sure you repair Things like the roof or broken windows and keep the receipt. This will all come in handy later.
If your vehicle took on water higher than the floorboard, do not try to start it. You may cause more damage than the flooding did. Take it (towed) to the same kind of dealership of the make of the car and have them check it out. Hopefully you were smart enough when you bought car insurance, that you purchased the highest towing coverage you can (it is the least expensive thing to buy).
Oh, and the stupid crap about having to file your insurance claim before September 1, 2017 is just that. A bunch of crap. HB 1774 does not change the insurance claims process. A person making a claim with his/her insurance company after September 1, 2017 will go through the same process as a person making a claim before September 1, 2017.
Back to theroaches, er bad guys.
If any contractor comes to your house to give an estimate - do not pay them anything. If the contractor says they will "negotiate" with the insurance company, send them on their way. If someone comes to your house claiming to be an insurance adjuster, that person should have ID, and should know your name and who you have a policy with, and the type of coverage. If they don't, send them on their way.
If any contractor tries to act like there is some sort of rush to get things done, send them on their way. FEMA will not be going door to door - anyone who says they are FEMA going door to door is likely a crook. You have to apply for assistance with FEMA before they send anyone. Then they will arrange an appointment.
If anyone wants to get any information from you that appears to be a possible contractor or represetative from the government. Ask for ID. Take a picture of that ID. Do this befor speaking with them.
Whatever You do - Stay safe!
I will get back to the bad guys in just a minute. If your home was damaged by Harvey, before you do anything else, take photos of all of the damage you find. Then, make sure you repair Things like the roof or broken windows and keep the receipt. This will all come in handy later.
If your vehicle took on water higher than the floorboard, do not try to start it. You may cause more damage than the flooding did. Take it (towed) to the same kind of dealership of the make of the car and have them check it out. Hopefully you were smart enough when you bought car insurance, that you purchased the highest towing coverage you can (it is the least expensive thing to buy).
Oh, and the stupid crap about having to file your insurance claim before September 1, 2017 is just that. A bunch of crap. HB 1774 does not change the insurance claims process. A person making a claim with his/her insurance company after September 1, 2017 will go through the same process as a person making a claim before September 1, 2017.
Back to the
If any contractor comes to your house to give an estimate - do not pay them anything. If the contractor says they will "negotiate" with the insurance company, send them on their way. If someone comes to your house claiming to be an insurance adjuster, that person should have ID, and should know your name and who you have a policy with, and the type of coverage. If they don't, send them on their way.
If any contractor tries to act like there is some sort of rush to get things done, send them on their way. FEMA will not be going door to door - anyone who says they are FEMA going door to door is likely a crook. You have to apply for assistance with FEMA before they send anyone. Then they will arrange an appointment.
If anyone wants to get any information from you that appears to be a possible contractor or represetative from the government. Ask for ID. Take a picture of that ID. Do this befor speaking with them.
Whatever You do - Stay safe!
Something Some Folks Should know About School Zones
Note - this is not legal advice, it is however a practical explanation of traffic laws (at least in Texas)
Ok, near me there are some school zones tat are marked improperly. What they do is they have a traffic control device (sign) that ends the school zone, but then they have an "END SCHOOL ZONE" sign way after, by Texas law, the school zone ends.
Traffic law is pretty simple for the most part in Texas concerning signs. The most recent traffic control device, or sign, sets the speed. Example, you are approaching a town and you are on a road marked "SPEED LIMIT 75". That means the speed limit is 75 MPH. When you come upon a "SPEED LIMIT 65" (the most recent sign) that sign designates the speed limit to be 65 MPH. Now the same is true leaving the town. You start out , say at a 30 MPH speed limit. You see a sign that says "SPEED LIMIT 45" (most recent traffic control device) so now the speed limit is 45 MPH, and so on, and so on.
So, here is the problem - the school zone starts with a "SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT 20" (with some specific times). It means during those times, the speed limit is 20 MPH and you cannot use a wireless device while driving in the school zone.
Then you come upon a "SPEED LIMIT 35" sign. At that point you may or may not be in the School Zone, but the speed limit is now 35 MPH. There is later a sign that says "END SCHOOL ZONE" and "SPEED LIMIT 35." Since there is a sign that says "END SCHOOL ZONE" it designates that the area where you cannot use a wireless device is now over, or ended.
However, intentional or not, the "SPEED LIMIT 35" sign in the middle of the school zone sets the speed limit back to 35 MPH. That is the most recent traffic control device and it sets the speed limit, just as the "SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT 20" had set the speed limit to 20 MPH from the previous speed limit.
If it was done intentionally, I smell a speed trap. If not, well, they may need to remove some unnecessary signs.
Whatever you do out there - Stay Safe!
Ok, near me there are some school zones tat are marked improperly. What they do is they have a traffic control device (sign) that ends the school zone, but then they have an "END SCHOOL ZONE" sign way after, by Texas law, the school zone ends.
Traffic law is pretty simple for the most part in Texas concerning signs. The most recent traffic control device, or sign, sets the speed. Example, you are approaching a town and you are on a road marked "SPEED LIMIT 75". That means the speed limit is 75 MPH. When you come upon a "SPEED LIMIT 65" (the most recent sign) that sign designates the speed limit to be 65 MPH. Now the same is true leaving the town. You start out , say at a 30 MPH speed limit. You see a sign that says "SPEED LIMIT 45" (most recent traffic control device) so now the speed limit is 45 MPH, and so on, and so on.
So, here is the problem - the school zone starts with a "SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT 20" (with some specific times). It means during those times, the speed limit is 20 MPH and you cannot use a wireless device while driving in the school zone.
Then you come upon a "SPEED LIMIT 35" sign. At that point you may or may not be in the School Zone, but the speed limit is now 35 MPH. There is later a sign that says "END SCHOOL ZONE" and "SPEED LIMIT 35." Since there is a sign that says "END SCHOOL ZONE" it designates that the area where you cannot use a wireless device is now over, or ended.
However, intentional or not, the "SPEED LIMIT 35" sign in the middle of the school zone sets the speed limit back to 35 MPH. That is the most recent traffic control device and it sets the speed limit, just as the "SCHOOL ZONE SPEED LIMIT 20" had set the speed limit to 20 MPH from the previous speed limit.
If it was done intentionally, I smell a speed trap. If not, well, they may need to remove some unnecessary signs.
Whatever you do out there - Stay Safe!
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