Can I salvage items out of my property (i.e. furnace, water heater, windows, light fixtures)?
No. Although the City initially thought property owners might be allowed limited salvage, FEMA and Iowa Homeland Security have told us that this is considered “double dipping,” so salvage will not be allowed. The pre-flood value of your property includes the value of all of the elements of the house. You will be compensated for this value. If you also take a fixture out of the house, you will have been paid for the value of the item you removed, and you still have the item. Not only is this unfair, but it is a violation of FEMA and State fiscal policy and the City’s buyout project will be canceled and we will not be reimbursed for any costs that we incur if they discover we have been allowing property owners to salvage. You can remove your personal property, but you cannot remove anything that was permanently installed. The analogy that the State uses is this: If you could pick up your home and turn it upside down (no shaking allowed!), you could keep the things that fall out. If there
