(Above: Subject line from email)

"Within 30 days from the date of this letter, please submit the following documentation to your Restore Louisiana case manager:"

• Certificate of Occupancy for your completed, reconstructed home, or
• Completed and paid final contract for all scoped work listed on your repair Estimated Cost of Repairs (ECR), or
• Receipts for work completed to repair your home that is not captured on your reimbursement ECR."

I will share with you the actual meaning of each bullet point to you. You are welcome to post in the Restore LA Program Info Exchange group any questions about how the state calculations the "Lessor" of costs.

Item 1. If you reconstructed your home after it was listed as more than 50% damaged by FEMA (FVL) and documented with your city or parish the state will calculate your reimbursement by sqft of your home. If you are in a flood zone you have to be elevated 2 feet above base flood elevation or they will award nothing.

Item 2. If you hired a contractor you can submit your total costs based on contractor invoices to the state. The state will compare the invoices to the ECR and award the lessor amount. If you did all the repairs yourself the state will pay what the ECR reflects less 20% for contractor overhead. (according to policy)

Item 3. When the state asks for receipts for work completed that are not documented in the reimbursements ECR they will ask for contractor receipts. You can actually call for a final inspection so the state comes up with a final ECR number for you. If you have paid cash, undocumented labor you can submit your own cash receipts to account for the costs.

The letter is simply trying to collect information to calculate your grant award. Be sure you submit all costs even undocumented expenses to discuss your final grant award before you accept it. Once you accept your grant award it is very difficult to have a additive change order submitted.

Keep the following things in mind when you communicate with the state and do not offer any additional information to what the state is asking for.

• If you can not complete your grant closing and final signing processes you will not be awarded or offered any amount of SBA loan.
• If you do not respond with the documents or information within the timeline noted by the state you will be withdrawn from the program which is how the state lists a "Voluntary Exit", "Quit", or "Given up" on the program.
• If you have a deadline you must submit an Exceptions Panel Review for a 30 day extension. You will offered continued weekly extensions as long as you can show progress but nothing more than 180 days from the date of your deadline.