Hello September

Another beautiful day! A welcome relief, especially for the tenants delayed by Irene.

Owners and tenants are asking for guidance regarding time missed due to the hurricane.  Thankfully, evacuations are not common at the Jersey shore.  The last mandatory evacuation for Avalon/Stone Harbor was in 1985 (in October- so far fewer tenants on the island).

This is an excerpt of a letter from Power Play Realty to our property owners:

Last week was overwhelming for all of us.  A major hurricane on a direct track toward the shore during a busy summer weekend is a worst case scenario for emergency management officials.

 On Thursday, August 25, the evacuation orders were in place.  We contacted the current tenants, as well as those due to arrive on Saturday.  Earlier that day, we thought the tenants had until Friday evening to leave.  However, by the afternoon, the order specified that non-residents should leave Thursday evening, and residents by Friday. 

The current tenants were very gracious with our requests to secure outdoor furniture and trash cans prior to leaving the island.  The incoming tenants were told they were not permitted to check in due to the mandatory evacuation order.  Obviously, there was much disappointment all around.

Because the property was not available during the mandatory evacuation period, tenants are requesting a refund for days lost.

Some property owners are providing additional time, and others are pro-rating the weekly rate and returning money to our office for us to process a refund to the tenants.  This is an unusual situation, and we appreciate the cooperation of both the landlords and tenants.