Complaints Lodged Against MA Tornado Victim Fund

Thursday, June 07, 2012

Walter Bird Jr., GoLocalWorcester Reporter

A state agency with millions of dollars at its disposal after last year’s devastating tornadoes couldn’t spare a dime for one victim, Daniel Butler.

“We have come to the conclusion that nothing is going to happen and it’s just not worth it anymore,” Daniel Butler told GoLocalWorcester.

Butler lost half his house when a tornado ripped through Southbridge on June 1, 2011 after having torn through Springfield, Monson, Brimfield and nearby Sturbridge. Like so many other victims in western and central Massachusetts he turned to state and federal agencies for help. One of them, Rebuild Western Massachusetts (RWM), with the strength of $8 million in state funding behind it, offered rebates and reimbursements for homeowners who rebuilt using energy-efficient materials.

Nightmare Process

Butler said he and his girlfriend, who lived in an area surrounded by trees and neighbors, heard about the program and sent in an application.

“We received a phone call, then an e-mail with guidelines,” Butler said.

The instructions, he said, were clear. When rebuilding he had to use specially-rated windows, doors and insulation. In fact, for each area of the house to be insulated – ceilings, floors and walls – there were different ratings. An inspector came out to Southbridge and spent about four hours examining every nook and cranny, according to Butler.

“He actually drilled into the walls to test the insulation we already had,” Butler said. “He told us that in certain areas of the house we could upgrade and qualify for even more reimbursement. He even checked out the attic, a part of the house that didn’t have to be rebuilt, and said we could be eligible for a rebate for improvements up there. He even tested our boiler.”

After the inspection, Butler went ahead and hired a contractor to rebuild his home.

“We did exactly what they said,” Butler said. “We followed all the guidelines.”

An inspector returned to the house once the work was done – on the same day as the town’s building inspector – and, according to Butler, told him “everything looked great.”

Problems Begin

Butler and his girlfriend went ahead and ordered furniture. And that, he said, is when it all fell apart.

“We started getting all sorts of problems with Rebuild Western Massachusetts,” Butler said. “They sent us more paperwork. Then the phone calls started. They said we didn’t follow any of the guidelines and none of the work was going to be reimbursed.”

Insurance had paid for the actual work, but the funding from RWM was supposed to be above and beyond that. Butler said he called repeatedly to complain and has always been told the same thing: There’s nothing we can do.

Complaint Lodged

Finally, fed up with the hassle, Butler turned to his local state representative, Peter Durant, R-Spencer. Durant, he said, promised him he would look into the issue. And he did.

Joseph McKenna, Durant’s chief of staff, said he reached out to Rebuild Western Massachusetts, which is run through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA). On March 19, McKenna received an e-mail response from Kristen Ferguson, program manager for RWM that read in part: “…Although there is a record that Mr. Butler called to inquire about the program on 1/25/12, and that he was sent an application, the program shows no record of an application received from Mr. Butler.”

According to the e-mail, Ferguson left a voice message for Butler on March 9 this year and sent an e-mail on March 12, but received no response. Butler said he does not remember receiving any communication from RWM, but he did acknowledge one potential snafu. The application went under his girlfriend’s name as the homeowner, not his. However, Butler said his girlfriend reached out “several times” to RWM and has received no response.

“We definitely applied,” Butler said. “We actually had to apply twice because the first time we were denied.”

Butler did say he and his girlfriend, whose name he did not want published, received a call from RWM after he complained to Durant.

“Basically,” said Butler, “we were told there was nothing they could do. To this day, they don’t return phone calls or e-mails.”

Hundreds Were Helped

Krista Selmi, director of communications for the EOEEA, said Rebuild Western Massachusetts only received one complaint – she could not immediately provide the total number of victims served by RWM. That concerns of that individual, she said, “were managed and he became a happy recipient.”

According to Selmi, as of April 30 RWM has worked with 147 applicants to provide financial aid for renovations and complete rebuilds. In addition, Selmi said RWM has distributed $260,000 in grants to area businesses and residents as well as $240,000 in loans through participating banks. Asked what happened to the $8 million, Selmi said that was what had been set aside and that there was still money available. She said she did not know how much money remained.

A phone call to the state Attorney General’s office to determine whether any complaints had been filed concerning RWM was not returned, however, a spokesperson for the governor said his office has received no complaints about RWM from either constituents or state lawmakers.

Cause for Concern

McKenna saw reason for concern over how Butler’s situation was handled, saying, “This issue is there is miscommunication where homeowners were led to believe they had been approved for reimbursement and followed what they were told. We have no issue with Rebuild Western Massachusetts requiring people to apply. They have their rules. But it appears you have individuals who did what they were told and then were told it had been done wrong.”

Butler said he is resigned to not reaching a resolution with the agency. He also said he knows others who have had the same issues with RWM. One of them, Audrey Blass, did not return a phone call seeking comment. Butler said when he has spoken with his neighbors

“At this point, we’re just so sick of everything,” he said. “We’ve swept it under the rug. We’ve got so many other issues. Now we just look at it as another useless, no-good organization. I don’t even know what to do anymore.”