Sidewalk repair damage by city contractors what is protocol

Isn’t the procedure to file a claim with the Comptroller’s office and, if you don’t get a satisfactory result to sue the City?

BobMarvin

in General Discussion 8 years and 7 months ago

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Guest User | 8 years and 7 months ago

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Contractors working for the city are replacing my sidewalk. I assume it is hard for them to break down the sidewalk completely without some amount of collateral damage… So yes, pieces of my my front yard that were adjacent to the sidewalk are broken up. Some stone pavers got taken out and broken as well as some driveway concrete. What is the protocol here?
Put it back in broken-up state? Patch it up? Give me a “discount”?
Am I naive?

EJR | 8 years and 7 months ago

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they should fix it for you. try to figure out who is in charge of the project and complain to them. Get your city councilman’s office involved.

evg25 | 8 years and 7 months ago

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Without seeming to give legal advice, you need to advise the New York City Department of Transportation, together with your section, block and lot number of the damage that the contractor caused.

This will put them on notice because the contractor cannot do the sidewalk without a permit

this may also preempt any possible violation notices issued to you in the event that the Department of Transportation then comes around and issues you a citation for a defective sidewalk

evg25 | 8 years and 7 months ago

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Much good luck.

MsStalwart | 8 years and 7 months ago

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Take pictures to document the damage. Hopefully you can find pictures that show the condition of your sidewalk before the work started. The city destroyed my perfect bluestone sidewalk in order to put in a curb cut for wheelchair access. Their plan was to replace my bluestone with cement. I had no notification of what they were doing until the damage was done. It took me a year of diligence to get it repaired. The sidewalk contractor was a thug. I refused to let them repair it until they agreed to replace my bluestone. The city was negligent because they didn’t coordinate with landmarks. After months of stonewalling, I finally got a response from the city when I wrote a letter to Bloomberg (mayor at the time) and cc’ed everyone on down in DOT, threatening to sue if nothing was done in 30 days. I reached out for advice to everyone I knew that had any kind of relationship to the city. I have no idea how to apply pressure with the DeBlasio administration. Make sure you keep phone logs and copies of everything. Good luck. The city can be a tough nut, but diligence and persistence will help you succeed.

murph | 8 years and 7 months ago

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I reside next to a city site and have had them damage my front wall several times.

First, catch them in the act and notify the Agency immediately. They will promise everything to just get away. I’ve even gone to small claims court. You never really win.