Recent heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Polo has brought widespread flooding concerns across New Mexico, including evacuations and dangerous conditions in parts of the state. The National Weather Service warned of the potential for life-threatening flooding as tropical moisture spread across New Mexico. Kob

For REALTORS®, the effects of a natural disaster can extend well beyond the storm itself. Clients, property owners, renters and community members may suddenly be dealing with damaged homes, insurance claims, contractor disputes, questions about property ownership or other complicated issues.

One resource worth knowing about is New Mexico Legal Aid Disaster Legal Services.

Free Legal Help After a Disaster

New Mexico Legal Aid provides free legal assistance to income-qualified individuals and households dealing with long-term recovery issues related to federally declared disasters. New Mexico Legal Aid

Assistance may include:

• FEMA and SBA applications and appeals
• Real property title clearing
• Landlord-tenant issues
• Insurance claims and disputes
• Repair and contractor fraud or scams
• Probate, wills and trusts
• Document replacement
• Foreclosure prevention
• Disaster tax relief
• Utility shutoffs
• Assistance for agricultural producers and small businesses
• Other disaster-related legal concerns

Housing questions can become especially complicated following a disaster. For example, FEMA assistance may require survivors to document home ownership or rental occupancy, something that can become more difficult when records have been lost or damaged. New Mexico Legal Aid

A Resource REALTORS® Can Keep Handy

REALTORS® are often among the first people homeowners and renters contact when something happens to a property. While REALTORS® should not provide legal advice, knowing where to direct someone for qualified assistance can make a meaningful difference.

New Mexico Legal Aid can also help residents navigate contractor fraud and repair-related concerns, another issue that can emerge as communities begin cleaning up and rebuilding. New Mexico Legal Aid

New Mexico Legal Aid Disaster Legal Services
Hotline: 1-855-204-2569
Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Email: disasterlegalservices@nmlegalaid.org

New Mexico Legal Aid Disaster Legal Services

New Mexico Legal Aid also provides information about disaster benefits, housing issues, replacing important documents, insurance concerns, contractor fraud and disaster preparedness. New Mexico Legal Aid

As New Mexico communities recover from the recent rain and flooding, REALTORS® can help by keeping reliable resources like this available and sharing them with clients, neighbors and community members who may need additional support.