Scituate -If your flood insurance policy is more than $5,000 or if your flood insurance bill has increased more than 100 percent in the past year, the Marshfield and Scituate Citizens Coastal Coalition is encouraging you to come to St. Ann’s Parish Hall in Marshfield on Saturday.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the coalitions, which have teamed up to put on this event, will be helping residents learn more about the property tax abatement process.
While there are several efforts afoot to change flood insurance legislation, the coalitions are looking to provide options to residents for possible relief if nothing changes in the near term.
“The consensus is our focus needs to be on what we do if Biggert-Waters is unamended,” said Marshfield coalition chair Joe Rossi.
The U.S. Senate may be voting on a proposed amendment to the Biggert-Waters flood insurance reform act this week and both Marshfield and Scituate have filed appeals of the amended flood insurance rate maps put out earlier this year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“There could be a prolonged period of time where homeowners will not be able to afford flood insurance,” Rossi said. “This day will be help people severely aggrieved and facing huge increases file abatements.”
The coalition is defining “severely aggrieved” as a flood insurance policy more than $5,000 or an increase in cost of more than 100 percent.
The event has an open door policy. Rossi said there would be three stations: a place to fill out abatement forms with Realtors assisting, a testimonial station, and a general questions station with land surveyors available to read elevation certificates.
The testimonial station will offer residents the chance to tell their flood insurance experience to a camera. The coalition plans on sending the testimony to legislators, Rossi said.
The event is part of a greater group effort by the Massachusetts Coastal Coalition, a group of residents in coastal communities working together on key issues.
Residents should bring a copy of a flood insurance bill, and the abatement form can be found on the Massachusetts Coastal Coalition website under downloads.
The last day to fill out abatement forms is Feb. 1.
For more information, visit www.massachusettscoastalcoalition.org; call Joe Rossi at 781-635-5152; or email info@massachusettscoastalcoalition.org. St. Ann’s Parish Hall is located at 591 Ocean St., Marshfield.
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