another neighborhood resident comments on the property damage claim denial letters just issued by PMA Companies

 

Sent: Monday, December 10, 2012 8:53 PM

Subject: Fwd: DC WATER/WASA Property Damage Claim Denial

    

Mr Hawkins,

      

My property damage, modifications and re-plumbing are already over $10,000, essentially to defend my property from additional assaults by DC WATER and its system.  I have had similar non-responsive, duplicitous, incompetent and arrogant experiences and exchanges with yourself and your agents that mirror Brice`s comments (making Princeton and Harvard proud, I see).  Once all my costs and invoices are aggregated I plan to submit them to DC WATER / WASA at which point it appears as though each and every section will be summarily dismissed.

          

Perhaps its time we all save ourselves the trouble of dealing with you and pursue a class action lawsuit under the auspices of the recent Supreme Court case, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission v. U.S., U.S. Supreme Court, No. 11-597, concerning government liability for flood damage as a government intrusion on property.  In our case, and based on a substantial amount of public record evidence that Brice cites, this claim should satisfy at least three of four narrowing criteria including the determination of whether the flooding was intended (no), foreseeable (yes), recurring (yes), or severe (yes).  It may not be as much of a stretch as it might appear.  I am not an attorney. Perhaps, you might weigh in on this with your prior experience?  At least you would be weighing in on some aspect of anything??  Didn`t think so.

             

Its lamentable but not entirely surprising that you and your office have chosen to align yourselves with the long, sordid history of DC public officers who fail to execute their duties, remain ethical, or act in good faith without the judicial system forcing you to.  I know I`m shocked.  Currently homeowners really have no avenue for redress against this little headless hall-of-mirrors bureaucracy you`ve been anointed to lead or maybe to hide inside of?  The ``solution`` that has been offered up by your is essentially for homeowners to spend their money to accommodate your historical, current and future negligence and incompetence.  Our money for backflow preventers is channeled to an approved list of DC master plumbers, for inane reasons, that any rational person might only conclude is a system of institutionalized kickbacks.  The ``rebates`` do not cover the cost of that work, other work is required beyond it in many cases (in mine, at least), and damages are denied.

            

Its slightly Orwellian to think that one of DC WATER`s primary raison d`être is to maintain and modernize sewer lines (I see the word ``water`` in your name, what else do you do?), our taxes fund your slovenly little existences, but the plan is its now our responsibility to use our ``spare`` money to protect ourselves from your sewers because apparently your agency forgot to do its job.  For, like, 100 years.  Just paraphrasing the story and the plan, save your euphemisms, glad-handing, flyers, community meetings, ``discounts,`` and phony sincerity. 

       

Its may be past time for homeowners to abandon attempts to seek justice through direct communication, which continues to fail, and pursue legal representation instead.  I guess its a good thing we live in DC, huh?

                          

Goodbye and good riddance,