DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - The city of Davenport has paid nearly $170,000 to 59 customers who filed claims over sewer backups into their houses after heavy rains last spring.
The average payment to each claimant came to about $2,880, the Quad-City Times reported (https://bit.ly/1eBTR5L ).
The backups occurred when heavy rains last spring overran the city’s aging sewers, sending wastewater into dozens of home basements.
The city still faces pending lawsuits from some property owners over the sewer backups.
City officials also are having trouble getting some property owners who filed claims to follow up on them. Under the reimbursement program, property owners whose claims are accepted must submit receipts and sign a release allowing the city to contact their insurance company. The city sends claimants the paperwork, then two reminder notices.
Officials say the city has 25 claims where property owners have not followed up with the proper paperwork.
As a result, the City Council on Wednesday approved a policy that would cut off claims after a year.
City finance director Brandon Wright said the problem of property owners who don’t respond to the city’s requests after their claim has been accepted is puzzling.
“We’re not going to pursue this forever,” Wright said.
___
Information from: Quad-City Times, https://www.qctimes.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.