Latest news with #KelleyBlueBook-determined
CBS News
13-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
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.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How much will Detroit pay out for southwest water main flood?
On the day a water main break sent icy torrents into hundreds of southwest Detroit homes, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made a vow: The city's water department and its partner, the Great Lakes Water Authority, would pay for any damage not covered by insurance. Now, nearly a month later, the cost of that promise is coming into focus. In a midday news conference Wednesday, officials, including Detroit Water and Sewerage Department Director Gary Brown, were asked about the price tag. His answer? 'It's $1.8 million just in the mechanicals … I think it's going to be close to an $8 to $10 million project when it's all said and done,' he said. That would be for everything, including hotel stays, basement cleaning, furnace replacement, and even the staffing to deal with the influx of calls related to the break, said Bryan Peckinpaugh, public affairs director for Brown's department, in a follow-up call. More: Detroit asking water main flood victims to sign a waiver. We had 2 lawyers take a look. More: One person's donation made nonprofit director cry after Detroit water main break Work continues to make residents whole again following the Feb. 17 break, but Duggan and Brown on Wednesday touted speedy efforts to do so and reiterated the vow to work to make residents whole after what Duggan has called a 'failure' of the water system. Some other updates officials gave included: At its height, more than 200 households were in hotels following the break. As of Wednesday morning, about half remained in hotels but 30 were in the process of moving out, Duggan said. Officials believe they should be largely on track to have people back in their homes within six weeks of the break. Of the 110 households who lost their furnaces, half had their furnace replaced by Wednesday, Duggan said. Of the 90 hot water heaters lost, 60 were replaced at the same time. There were some instances of contractors and residents showing up at different times, but Duggan felt there's been progress. Five of the 29 vehicles taken to a police precinct in the aftermath were turned over to their owners, Brown said. Owners of the rest will receive a payout at the Kelley Blue Book-determined price. Those who place a claim with the city online should hear from an adjuster to immediately come out and check out the damage. Asked about premiums rising for residents who need to make an insurance claim, Brown reiterated the entities' intentions to pay deductibles for residents and make them whole by buying cars straight out or paying for the cost of repairs. He said they would be 'liberal' in making residents whole when it comes to damage to cars and homes. Most claims with the city are expected to be settled within 45 days, Brown said; the department previously indicated a notice of claim should be filed in that timeframe. A temporary road will be placed where the break took place, ahead of work to finish the permanent road fix, said Peter Fromm of the Great Lakes Water Authority. More: Abogados analizan exoneración de responsabilidad por la tubería rota en Detroit More: Southwest Detroit streets, basements flood due to water main break This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How much will Detroit pay out for southwest water main flood?
