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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

DC Water responds to questions about property damage claims

DC Water's Alan Heymann responds to the last Email from Bloomingdale resident Brice McCracken:




From: Alan R. Heymann
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 3:45 PM
Subject: Responding to questions about property damage claim


Mr. McCracken and group,

I am sending this on behalf of our Chief Financial Officer, who supervises the Risk Management office here at DC Water. It attempts to answer your questions about the claims process, and could be of some use to others who have similar questions.

Yours,
Alan Heymann 


Alan Heymann, Esq. | Chief of External Affairs | DC Water | alan.heymann@dcwater.com
5000 Overlook Avenue, SW | Washington, DC 20032 | (202) 787-2616 | (202) 787-2210 (fax)
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Dear Mr. McCracken,
         
Your emails of December 11th and 12th expressing concern regarding the status of your claim have been forwarded to my office.   
         
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (“DC Water”) has a systematic process in place for managing claims and requests for documents, which is also disclosed on our public website. While I understand your frustration concerning your property damage and loss, the insurer’s inquiry and the additional engineering investigation did not result in a finding of liability.
        
If you are not satisfied with the insurance company’s initial findings and desire reconsideration of your claim, then you must provide a written request appealing the denial of your claim to DC Water’s Risk Manager. Included in your request should be new factual information or documents that will further support your claim. The appeal process is available on our website and notes that within 30 days of receiving your request for an appeal, we will review your claim and notify you of our findings by mail. That appeal can be submitted through the same methods as the initial claim:
               
By Email
Email the form to RiskManagement@dcwater.com.
By Fax
Fax the form to 202-787-2471
By Mail
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Office of Risk Management
5000 Overlook Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20032

Additionally, information regarding the investigation that DC Water performed in the Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park areas as referenced in the December 7th letter can be obtained by submitting a request to:

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer
Katherine Cahill, Principal Counsel
District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Office of the General Counsel
5000 Overlook Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20032
202-787-2623
202-787-2254 (fax)

All requests are handled professionally and expeditiously. Please be advised that FOIA requests may be oral or in writing. If the request is written via e-mail or letter, the subject line or envelope shall prominently be marked "FOIA Request." The FOIA Officer may request that an oral request be reduced to writing, if the requested records are not customarily made available by the public body.

Sincerely,
Yvette Downs

Yvette D. Downs, MBA, CCM Acting, Chief Financial Officer | DC Water
5000 Overlook Avenue, SW | Washington, DC 20032 | (202) 787-2154 | (202) 787-2192 (fax)


+++
Plus this subsequent reply:
           
I am not sure why anyone involved with this whole flooding nightmare would be told to submit a request for the report when you could easily just post it to your website or provide it directly to the gentleman who asked for it.  The runaround we get is RIDICULOUS.  To the point where it is suspicious.  DC Water is sitting on  a surplus.  There are about 400 people who have had issues...you are not looking at billions of dollars to compensate people...you're not even looking at 5 million dollars in compensation...is there some reason why you are being so tightfisted?  Do we need to demand an audit of DCWATER?  It is awfully suspicious that this agency has no compassion whatsoever for the hundreds of people who have been effected by an antiquated system to the point of draining savings and losing tenants and rental income.  Honestly.  Who do we speak to demand an audit of your books?

Saranah Holmes

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