May 28, 2009 11:07 pm US/Central
City Slow To Pay Pothole Damages, If At All
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Potholes are turning into a huge money pit. Claims from drivers whose cars were damaged by the holes are expected to be well over $2 million dollars this year, and that's on top of all the money it takes to fix the potholes.
But as 2 Investigator Pam Zekman reports, if you're a driver with a damaged car, it's not so easy to get the city to pay up.
Matt Rieman hit a pothole so big it exposed the metal edge of a manhole that aggravated the damage.
"It felt like a front-end collision, like I had just run into the back end of a car or something," he says.
Rieman is one of about 2,500 drivers who have filed pothole damage claims against the city in just five months so far this year. In 2008, another bad year for potholes, there were 3,400 claims -- an 80 percent increase over the 665 claims filed in 2007.
Matt emailed the 2 Investigators furious that it took the city weeks to repair his pothole after it damaged his car.
"It was a very big pothole when I hit it. I can only imagine how long it had been forming and had been dangerous."
As required by the city, Rieman submitted his repair bill to replace two tires, a rim, a controller arm and other costs, totaling more than $900.
He also had to get an official report from the police.
"They sort of laughed at me and said good luck," he said.
He'll need it. Officials say the city typically pays only half the amount claimed to repair all the damage caused by potholes. And if you don't like it, tough. You can just sue the city.
"I'm currently unemployed, and with this economy, especially, for me to pay a thousand dollars out of my pocket, I don't think that's really fair," he said. "I would think they would have to pay for it."
Think again. In 2007 the city only paid $87,000 out of more than $300,000 claimed. Why so little? Some pothole claims were reduced because the car owner owed the city money.
Others were denied because they lacked documentation, were over the city's $2,500 limit, or were not even in the city.
Because you have a year to file a damage claim, city officials say they can't tell us the total amount claimed for 2008 or so far this year, when it's expected to be much higher.
"It's been very very busy," Bob Gottfred of Erie LaSalle Body Shop said. "Potholes are roughly double what we have done last year."
So we made a guesstimate based on a typical tab of about $700. At that rate, last year's claims could be $2.4 million. So far this year, it's $1.75 million and still climbing.
If you've filed a claim, don't hold your breath. It typically takes the city a year to pay.
"The fact that it was their fault, their city negligence and they're going to take that long and then not even fully reimburse me, I think it's outrageous," Rieman said.
The claims are reviewed by the city council's finance committee chaired by Ald. Edward Burke. Neither Burke or anyone else from the finance committee would do an on-camera interview for this report.
ClickÂ
here to fill out an online form to try to get city reimbursement to pothole-related damage. The city will ask you to print it and mail it to the clerk's office with any supporting documents.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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