DEP Damage

I’m looking for tips on what we should do. After I called 311 about a fire hydrant outside my house leaking into my basement and creating a sink hole in my side yard, they came out and repaired the hydrant and told me they’d be back to fix the sidewalk they broke up and refill my sideyard with dirt. They haven’t been back. Today I called 311 again and found that their records show that DEP has closed the case and plans no further work. Well I still have the sink hole and the busted up sidewalk. Now the City tells me that I can either file another complaint with 311 who will send out DOT who will perform the work and then bill me and then I can seek reimbursement from the City by filing a claim with the Comptroller or I can have the work performed and file for a claim. It all seems so, so, wrong. The City’s workers can just make a mess of things, write it in their reports and walk away and the homeowner has to fix it and file a claim? I’m not so keen about having DoT inspect and make the repair because a lot of the sidewalk is the original bluestone, warts and all and we don’t have the money to redo it now. Suggestions? Advice?

By Bessie |