Detroit pays residents Blue Book price for vehicles damaged in massive water main break
More than three weeks after a water main break flooded and damaged hundreds of homes in Southwest Detroit, Sherri Luszczynski says she is still dealing with the effects.
The flooding left incredible damage after the ice reached several inches inside Luszczynski's family's cars, with some nearly fully underwater.
"We lost all six vehicles, as far as I know," she said. "We watched it rise. It got up over my top, my bottom step to the top tire, over the top of the tires of my husband's F-150. Our vehicles filled with water, then they froze," said Luszczynski.
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department says it is working with insurance adjusters to check the 89 vehicles that are currently in the claims process.
"Five of them have been turned back to the owners and the rest of the vehicles that are at the precinct – we're going to just total them out and pay the owners the Blue Book price," said Gary Brown, Director of the Detroit Board of Water Commissioners.
Luszczynski says that isn't enough.
"We weren't in the market to buy new vehicles. My truck only had 71,000 miles on it. My husband had somewhere right under 114,000 miles. We planned on driving them for years to come," said Luszczynski.
CBS News Detroit reached out for official word, and DWSD says the city plans to pay owners' comprehensive deductibles in auto insurance for repairs or total damage to their vehicles.
If they do not have auto insurance, they say they will pay the Kelley Blue Book-determined value for repairs or the Blue Book-determined value for the vehicle if the claims adjuster determines the vehicle is totaled due to the flooding.
Luszczynski says because they do have coverage, that would only amount to about $1,500 for all of their cars, well under what they are now saddled with.
"We owed nothing on my husband's truck, and I owed just under $21,000 in my truck. I would prefer to be put back the way I was, but that's never going to happen," said Luszczynski.
City leaders say they hope to get the claims processed as quickly as possible.
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