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| COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE COLLECTS $1 MILLION FOR DAMAGES TO CITY PROPERTY
Comptroller Thompson has announced that his office collected more than $1 million—for the fifth year in a row—from individuals and firms that damaged City property.
"My office files an affirmative claim because of damage to City property and seeks to recover costs on behalf of the City," Thompson said. "If someone destroys or damages City property, that person should have to pay up, so that all taxpayers don’t have to foot the bill."
Soon after taking office in 2002, Thompson started an Affirmative Claims Unit and hired a Director of Affirmative Claims, who coordinated activities with other City agencies. Previously, the Comptroller’s Office had pursued only a small number of cases.
In fiscal year 2002, the Comptroller’s Office settled 149 such claims for $523,768. The following year, the number of settled affirmative claims rose to 228, for $568,959. Fromfiscal year 2004 forward, the unit brought in more than $1 million annually, and in fiscal year 2008, which ended on June 30, the unit resolved 504 claims, yielding $1,217,177. |
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| ONLINE CLAIMS RESOLUTION SYSTEM SAVES MILLIONS FOR NEW YORK CITY
The online tool Cybersettle has saved the City more than $57 million in settlement costs since its inception in his office in February 2004, Comptroller Thompson reports.
Cybersettle is a computer program that facilitates high-speed, confidential settlements by matching both offers and demands to settle personal injury and property damage disputes with the City. Claims adjusters enter offers and plaintiffs’ attorneys respond with corresponding demands, which cannot be viewed by the City.
If an offer and demand overlap, a settlement is reached. If not, additional offers and demands are entered until an agreement is reached—though never a figure above the highest offer proposed by the Comptroller’s Office.
Since thetechnology’s inception, 3,047 claims have been settled, averaging $10,975 and taking about six to 12 months to resolve. The average settlement for similar claims that go into litigation is $27,869 and take about four years to resolve.
"The quicker a claim is settled, the less costly the outcome," Thompson said. "By utilizing this valuable tool, we allow a 24-hour resource to efficiently settle disputes. This ultimately lowers the cost to the City and saves taxpayers millions."
Thompson also noted that, by becoming the first municipality to use internet technology to settle claims, New York City has taken on a natiownide leadership role. |
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THOMPSON EXAMINES 2007 FLOOD LOSS COMPENSATION OPTIONS FOR NEW YORKERS
As he probes ways to compensate New Yorkers affected by last year’s massive storm-triggered floods, Comptroller Thompson has offered to extend the deadlines for claimants to sue, with the expectation of resolving claims before litigation becomes necessary.
"We are working to find a solution that is equitable to homeowners and residents," Thompson said. "I personally saw the damage that many homeowners suffered, and I fully believe that by extending these deadlines, we will be able to resolve these cases in a manner that is fair to both the claimants and the City without the need for costly litigation."
Numerous properties were flooded during severe storms in April, July and August 2007. Afterwards, nearly 1,300 claims were filed, requesting nearly $28 million in damages.
Thompson noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency determined that the flooding that occurred in April and August qualified as "major disasters," eligible for federal disaster assistance.
However, the Comptroller’s Office could not process the claims until the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which oversees the City’s water and sewage systems, submitted its analyses and findings. That agency ultimately determined that the City was not responsible for the flooding damage.
Tort claims against the City, which are filed through the Comptroller’s Bureau of Law & Adjustment, must be filed within 90 days from the date of the occurrence. A legal action must ordinarily be filed against the City within one year and 90 days from the date of occurrence.
Thompson has notified those who filed claims after the 2007 storms that his office is continuing to investigate the matter, and has offered them a six-month extension to sue, which he is authorized to do under the City’s Administrative Code. |
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RUSSIAN HERITAGE CELEBRATION SLATED
Comptroller Thompson will host his annual Russian Heritage celebration on Thursday, September 16th. Open to the public, the event will feature distinguished honorees, traditional Russian fare and entertainment. For more information, contact the Comptroller’s Office of Special Events at (212) 669-4466 or eventsrsvp@comptroller.nyc.gov.
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