Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When will the county pay my property damages
or auto claim?
A. First, it is advisable to report your claim
to your own insurance carrier. Next, when a
claim enters Risk Management, an adjuster will
be assigned to investigate the claim. The results
of that investigation will determine if your
claim will be paid in total, partial or denied.
Q. The county’s contractor damaged my property.
When can I expect to be compensated for my
loss?
A. If an independent contractor is working
on a county project, the county is not directly
responsible for their activities. We recommend
you contact the contractor, and alert them
of your damages.
Q. I have a sewer backup in my home. What
can the county do to alleviate this problem?
Who will pay for my damages?
A. Call the Utilities’ Customer Service Department
at (727) 464-4000. A crew will be dispatched
to your home. If there is damage inside the
house, customer service will call Risk Management
to send someone immediately out to clean it
up. The blockage will be verified and cleared.
If it is determined that the blockage is on
the customer side of the sewer line, the citizen
will be responsible for any bill incurred to
clear the blockage. If the blockage is determined
to be in the main line, the county will cover
the charge or reimburse the citizen for a plumbing
bill if necessary. If damages occur within
the home from a sewer backup of county responsibility,
they will be repaired. Please be advised your
homeowner insurance carrier should be notified
immediately if you incur a loss.
Q. I need a rental car today. Who does the
county use as a vendor and can the county be
billed direct?
A. The county does not have an agreement with
a rental car company; nor do we accept direct
billing.
Q. How do I determine who is responsible for
a road or a sidewalk?
A. Most roads and their associated sidewalks
within a city limit belong to that city. However,
some federal, state and county owned roads
do exist within city limits. The best way to
determine ownership is call the city or county
road departments.
Q. When is the county liable to a customer
for an accident or event?
A. In order for the county to be liable, or
responsible for an accident, the county must
have failed a duty owed to the person making
the claim. That failure must be the direct
or proximate cause of the accident. The Risk
Management Department will investigate each
claim thoroughly.
Q. If a claimant is owed money, when can he
or she expect to be paid?
A. Risk Management does not write checks. Once
the amount is determined, a check request is
sent to the Finance Department. Normally, Finance
will issue checks in seven to ten days.
400
South Ft. Harrison Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33756
(727) 464-3664 / Fax (727) 464-4060
top
|