Representatives will be available in Long Beach March 4-9, at the Recreation Center and Ice Arena, located at 700 Magnolia Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. On March 5, representatives will also be available in Lawrence from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Lawrence Village Hall, 196 Central Ave.

“Meeting their bank representative will provide affected homeowners with an opportunity to resolve these delays,” Weisenberg said.

According to Weisenberg, if your bank or mortgage servicer is not listed in the program, the Department of Financial Services recommends that homeowners still visit the locations to receive help in answering their questions. Homeowners with general insurance related questions are also invited to attend. Residents should bring copies of any relevant documents, records, or correspondence for their one-on-one session.

Homeowners unable to go to these locations may contact the department by calling (800) 339-1759, which is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Insurance information is also available on the department's website, www.dfs.ny.gov

According to the Department of Financial Services, insurers typically issue checks jointly to a homeowner and the homeowner’s mortgage bank or servicer after the settlement of a large insurance claim. That means the bank needs to endorse the check before the homeowner may access the funds. Dual endorsement is a standard requirement, and banks may also require proof that repairs have been made before endorsing checks.

However, the department said that it has urged banks to speed the release of the funds to Sandy victims, and asked Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to implement emergency reforms and ease their rules in order to allow banks and mortgage servicers to release funding for homeowners.