Watch CBS News

I-Team: Snow Plow Damage Claims Skyrocket, But Boston Residents Get Cold Shoulder

BOSTON (CBS) -- After a brutal winter, local governments all over the Commonwealth were buried by damage claims. Taxpayers wanted to get reimbursed after snow plows knocked down their fences or dented their cars.

But in Boston, the odds seem stacked against residents. Instead of getting a check in the mail, the majority of people who submitted claims received a rejection letter.

The I-Team reviewed claims in the City of Boston, compared the denial rate with surrounding communities, and asked the mayor if residents are getting a fair shot.

Property Damaged, Claims Denied

An ugly reminder of the historic winter stuck around long after the last flake of snow melted at R.C. Carrington's Hyde Park home.

During a late February blizzard, Carrington believes a plow took a chunk out of his concrete retaining wall, causing more than $2,500 of damage.

"It's bugging me a lot. Every time I look at it, it's ugly," Carrington said. "Whoever piled up the snow, did this. There were no other cars on the road!"

Carrington snapped photos of the damage and paid $15 to file a claim with the City of Boston.

A response from the law department said GPS records showed both a City of Boston plow and a private contractor hired by the city were in the neighborhood near the time of the alleged damage.

Without a license plate, there was no way to prove who was responsible, the letter said. Carrington's claim was denied.

"I'm in my bed and the snow is piled up to my roof and I'm supposed to jump up, put on some clothes, go outside, and get a plate number?!" said an exasperated Carrington.

The letter gave no chance for an appeal. If Carrington wanted to keep pursuing the claim, the letter instructed him to file suit in court.

Jamaica Plain resident Myla Green shares that frustrated feeling.

She discovered her damaged car while digging out of the Valentine's Day blizzard.

"A neighbor told me she witnessed a city plow hit my car, lift it up into the air, get out to look at the damage, and then drive away," Green said.

She also filed a claim, seeking payment for about $1,200 in damage. But like Carrington, the response letter Green received suggested another private contractor hired by the city was plowing in the neighborhood.

"It seems really unfair to me," Green said. "The City of Boston just said, 'You're on your own. Too bad. It's not our responsibility since it was a contractor. Good luck.'"

Huge Increase In Claims, But Most Denied

Carrington and Green are far from alone.

In 2015, Boston snow plow damage claims skyrocketed. Residents submitted 227 claims, up from just 35 the previous year. That's a 548 percent increase.

However, out of those 227 claims, more than 70 percent of people have received a rejection letter in the mail.
The law department has only approved settlements for about 15 percent of the claims, while the remainder of the claims remain in an open status.

The I-Team asked Boston Mayor Martin Walsh about the high denial rate.

"It certainly does bother me because if I'm one of the 70 percent, I'm not happy about it," Walsh said.

The mayor said private contractors have their own insurance coverage, so the city wants to make sure taxpayers don't have to pay for those settlements.

But Walsh indicated he would like to take a closer look at the claims process to make sure Boston residents are getting a fair shot.

"The process should not be set up for failure for the residents of the City of Boston," he said.

Other Communities Settle More Claims

The I-Team also requested claims data from Brookline, Newton, Quincy and New Bedford.

All of those communities also saw large spikes in snow plow damage claims. However, they all had approved more settlements than denials, a big contrast from Boston.

But those local governments also seemed to take longer to negotiate with residents and make decisions. All had a large percentage of claims still in "open" status.

"We have employees thoroughly investigate each claim," said Kerry Fleming, an attorney with the Town of Brookline. "That includes inspecting damage in person and speaking with any witnesses."

The City of Quincy received 156 claims this year, with a large number of residents requesting payment for fence damage.

Solicitor James Timmins told the I-Team the city hired a fence company to inspect damage and make repairs to facilitate the process.

Timmins also said the city worked with private contractors to pay for claims deemed their responsibility instead of making residents navigate that process.

"We are chalking it up to a really bad winter and trying to help people out and not leaving them holding the bag," Timmins said.

Is Boston Process Too Difficult?

Duane de Four was one of the lucky Boston residents to get reimbursed for snow plow damage.

His car had about $2,000 of damage, including a broken window and piece of the undercarriage that was jarred loose after the impact.

An alert neighbor saw the collision and even got the snow plow driver's name. With all the evidence, de Four prevailed in his claim.

"I think they try to make it as difficult as possible," he said. "It almost seems like you need to film your car so you have all the evidence. It shouldn't come to that."

One thing the I-Team suggested to Mayor Walsh is informing residents they can request the snow plow GPS data to help with their claims battles.

Walsh has already implemented that change and it is now included in claims letters mailed out to residents.

Ryan Kath can be reached at rkath@cbs.com. You can follow him on Twitter or connect on Facebook.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.