Frequently Asked Questions Regarding NHDirect And
The Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement
What risks or hazards does ServiceLink National Flood provide in the NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report?
The NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report provides information on the following six (6) mandated hazards:
a. Special Flood Hazard Area
b. Dam Inundation Area of potential flooding
c. Very high fire hazard severity zone
d. Wildland area that may contain substantial forest fire risks and hazards
e. Earthquake Fault Zone
f. Seismic Hazard Area
As well as the following supplemental hazards:
a. Radon Gas exposure
b. Airport influence area
c. Megan’s Law disclosures
d. Military ordinance
Why NHDirect?
NHDirect is the perfect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report for successful real estate sellers. It is designed around the notion that sellers want straightforward facts disclosing natural hazards to potential buyers. ServiceLink National Flood engineered our Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement to make it easy to read, comprehend and provides the information in a concise, efficient report that can save 50% or more over the cost of other California Natural Hazard Disclosure products.
What is a Natural Hazard Disclosure Report?
California Assembly Bill 1195 mandates that the six (6) required hazards be disclosed on a statutory form called the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHDS).
Why is a Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement required?
The Natural Hazards Disclosure Act requires that sellers of real property and their agents provide prospective buyers with a Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement when the property being sold lies within one or more statutorily specified areas.
What counties does ServiceLink National Flood provide NHD information for?
SLNF is a provider of Natural Hazard Disclosure Statements for all counties in California.
How do I order a Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement from SLNF?
NHDirect makes the order and delivery of Natural Hazard Disclosure Reports simple and efficient. We offer a variety of convenient as well as customized ordering options, including internet applications and EDI connections. SLNF’s online delivery platform is housed in a tier-one facility with redundant hot-site backup systems. Our world class data center meets or exceeds industry standards for both physical and network security.
What do I receive?
The NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement is provided in a concise, efficient report that can provide substantial savings over the cost of other California Natural Hazard Disclosures. The NHDS has been engineered to be easy to read and comprehend. Our NHDirect report focuses on the essential ingredients required by law in addition to a few important supplemental hazards.
Who needs to obtain a Natural Hazards Disclosure Report?
The Natural Hazards Disclosure Act mandates that all sellers of residential real estate and their agents must disclose nearby hazards to the potential buyer. The NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report meets this requirement.
Who is NHDirect
NHDirect is the perfect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report for successful real estate sellers. NHDirect is provided by ServiceLink National Flood, premier provider of origination- and default-related products and services to the mortgage and finance industries nationwide.
Why choose NHDirect?
ServiceLink National Flood is the industry leading provider of flood zone determinations, a premier provider of origination- and default-related products and services to the mortgage and finance industries nationwide. With a storied history of success and longevity, SLNF is the overwhelming choice for those real estate agents, brokers, default or Title Companies that are looking for a stable, successful provider of Natural Hazard Disclosure Statements that has a proven track record and longevity.
What Natural Hazards are required?
FEMA FLOOD HAZARD
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains maps delineating Special Flood Hazard Areas. A property lying within a SFHA in a participating community is eligible for low cost flood insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Properties identified to lie within the SFHA (usually A and V zones) are identified in the NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement.
DAM INUNDATION
Dam inundation hazards are areas affected by the failure of a dam or levee. While these areas are usually protected from flood by the dams and levees, in the case of failure due to earthquake or erosion, these areas become the drainage basin. The State of California Office of Emergency Services (OES) regulates areas of Dam inundation susceptibility. The NHDirect NHDS utilizes Inundation Maps for the entire state that are available via the internet from the OES web page. Maps can also be obtained from the individual counties themselves, however inundation areas often span multiple counties while maps are only available from the county containing the dam.
VERY HIGH FIRE
The State of California has mapped areas of high fire risk. Included are areas which are windy, dry, difficult to access or contain abundant fuel. Maps for High Fire Susceptibility are available digitally through the Department of Forestry and are used as the source of the information provided on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Report. Paper maps are also available or can be reproduced using the digital data.
WILDLAND FIRE
The California Department of Forestry Fire Protection Services is responsible for extinguishing fires in areas delineated as State Responsibility Areas. These areas usually contain large areas of rural, state-owned land containing grasslands, brush lands and forests. Generally, Federal land and incorporated communities are not included.
Maps for State Responsibility Areas are available digitally through the Department of Forestry and are the source material for the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. Paper maps are also available or can be reproduced using the digital data. Areas not included in the State Fire Responsibility Areas maintain independent fire protection services.
ALQUIST-PRIOLO EARTHQUAKE FAULT ZONE HAZARD
In 1973, the Alquist-Priolo Special Studies Zone Act began the creation of the maps known as of January 1, 1994, as the Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone Maps and are used in the NHDS. These maps were created to prohibit the location of most structures for human occupancy across the traces of active faults, preventing the hazard of fault rupture. In most cases the zones include areas within 600 feet of known active faults which displacement has occurred in the last 11,000 years. These maps are available through the Department of Conservation- Division of Mines and Geology. More detailed information is available from the state in Special Publication 42. The information in this publication is technical and provides specific information as well as an overview and history of the Alquist-Priolo acts.
SEISMIC HAZARD
Seismic Hazards are defined as areas subject to strong earthquake shaking, liquefaction, landslide or other earthquake related ground failures. In 1992, the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act was enacted which mandated the creation of Seismic Hazard Maps by the Department of Conservation - Division of Mines and Geology. These Seismic Hazard Maps include Liquefaction and Landslide Zones which must be differentiated on the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHDS).
LIQUEFACTION
Liquefaction is a phenomenon where soils, usually water saturated, exhibit water-like properties when subject to the ground shaking forces of an earthquake. Soils such as unconsolidated sands and silts are likely candidates to show effects of liquefaction. During liquefaction, soil is incapable of supporting structures. This causes structures to settle or sink and soil to boil up through cracks in the ground or pavement.
LANDSLIDE
Landslide areas are defined as areas which exhibit displacement during seismic events. These areas are often located on hillsides with grades exceeding 25 degrees and contain unconsolidated bedrock. These areas are delineated on the State Seismic Hazard maps and, like Liquefaction, must be reported specifically within the Seismic Hazard section of the NHDS.
How long does it take to receive my report?
ServiceLink National Flood provides the NHDirect product using our streamlined product-ordering and delivery system, enabling us to complete and return most Natural Hazard Disclosure Statements in a matter of seconds. Those orders requiring manual research are returned in just a few hours.
How do I order?
To get started with the NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report, talk to one of our representatives at 888.286.1340 or e-mail disclosureinfo@svclnk.com.
Can I make changes to an order?
NHDirect customer service representatives are available from 7am – 7pm and are committed to being the most responsive and helpful in the industry. If there is an issue with a NHDS provided by NHDirect, do not hesitate to contact our customer service representatives.
What is the tax portion of the report?
A California Tax Disclosure Report is also available as an additional product attached to the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement. The additional tax report discloses the current property taxes as well as any special tax districts that may have a significant impact on the annual tax burden.
Can I order the tax portion separately?
The California Tax Disclosure Report is not currently marketed as a separate product, however in the future this report will be available independent of the NHDirect Natural Hazard Disclosure Report.
Can I add the tax portion later?
Yes. The NHDirect customer service representatives can assist with problem or custom orders.
Can I view my report online?
Yes, a registered NHDirect user can log on to the website and view a searched Natural Hazard Disclosure Report.
What if I think my report is wrong?
If you believe there is a critical error in the provided disclosure, the NHDirect customer service representatives can be contacted and a compliance review will be conducted.