Protect Your Rights: Act of God in Natural Disasters
After a month-long absence thanks to COVID-19 and Hurricane Helene, I’m finally back to discuss legal issues regarding Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. This blog post will focus on what is known as the act of God clause, which could help you during these difficult times after being the victim of a natural disaster. The YouTube video can be seen below.
A Month of Challenges
It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure. At the tail-end of COVID-19 pandemic, and boy was I hit hard, then came Hurricane Helene, leaving me thirteen days without power. This complicated teaching as I fell behind two weeks on seminars. But if it only ended there. There’s now the financial issue myself and everyone else has to deal with when it comes to the aftermath of a natural disaster. That’s where this blog post comes into play.
Navigating Legal Issues with the Acts of God Clause
Natural disasters wreak havoc in our lives, including financially. Many will face difficulties extending payments on their cell phones, mortgages, or even terminating leases. Unfortunately, it’s not my first rodeo, and I had to deal with this issue with my satellite internet provider.
My lease was set to expire on November 29th, and I had already notified the provider two months earlier of my intention to cancel. However, Hurricane Helene damaged my satellite dish, so if the internet no longer works, what’s the point of continuing with the lease? Well, that makes sense to me, but not to the internet provider.
While they didn’t want to end the lease, that’s when I argued that the hurricane constituted an “Act of God,” a legal term referring to a natural disaster beyond human control. This clause is common in contracts and can be used to terminate the contract since one or both parties can’t fulfill their obligations.
In my case, the Act of God clause allowed me to terminate the lease without penalty. Now, I’m sure any business will react like the internet provider. For example, they offered to cancel the contract and set up a payment plan, but I insisted on full termination.
I explained that the damaged satellite dish and the extended power outage made it impossible to use the service. Their other choice was to replace the dish and then come pick it up again in five weeks when the lease ended.
Protecting Your Rights
Remember, you are dealing with a business that is there to make money at your expense. Be assertive but polite. Refer to the Act of God clause in your contract and explain how the natural disaster has made it impossible to fulfill your obligations. Even if there isn’t an Act of God clause, argue that point.
However, it’s important to note that the Act of God clause is not a magic wand. It doesn’t eliminate all financial obligations. For example, you can’t argue that the Act of God clause wipes out your credit card balance, but it could be used as a way to extend payments or terminate certain contracts, such as in my situation.
Best of luck, and whether it is Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton, or any other natural disaster, hang in there. I promise you that you will get through this.
Update:
Note that it seems the Trump administration is getting rid of FEMA. The latest budget submitted by the Republican Party had $0.00 set aside for FEMA. States like North Carolina and Arkansas have already been rejected. In North Carolina, an extension to apply for FEMA funds was denied, and in Arkansas, no funding was provided either. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has filed an appeal.
Colleges and universities can purchase my bankruptcy law textbook directly from Routledge Publishing. For paralegals and students buying single copies, you can do so via Amazon books. To access my YouTube channel, click this link.
Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only.
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This transcript was edited for clarity.
Updated on May 7, 2025.
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