Free legal help available for Gita survivors in Am Samoa
Pago Pago, AS — American Samoa Legal Aid, the American Samoa Bar Association, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABA YLD), and other organizations are organizing to help provide free legal and recovery assistance to people affected by Tropical Storm Gita.
A legal assistance hotline (684-633-3301) is available to connect low-income individuals affected by the disaster with local legal aid providers who can help with:
- ¥ Appealing denials of FEMA applications
- ¥ Executing powers of attorney and affidavits necessary for FEMA/SBA benefits;
- ¥ Replacement important legal documents destroyed during the disaster;
- ¥ Assistance with property insurance claims;
- ¥ Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems; and
- ¥ Counseling on landlord-tenant problems
The hotline hours of operation are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm local time. Please have your FEMA registration and other relevant information when making your call. Callers needing assistance appealing denials of FEMA benefits will be matched with a volunteer attorney through the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, American Samoa Legal Aid or local Bar. All other matters will be handled locally by attorneys from American Samoa Legal Aid, or volunteer attorneys residing in American Samoa.
Please be advised that the deadline to register with FEMA is May 1, 2018. Survivors have 60 days to appeal denial of benefits from FEMA. Contact the ASLA/DLS hotline (684-633-3301) for assistance or visit the Pago Pago office of American Samoa Legal Aid, located next to the U.S. Department of Interior National Park Visitor Center, between the hours of 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.