Ivan-- this is totally incomprehensible "thinking" on the part of the
city--but I very much doubt that we can do anything to influence them---the
"legal" wheels are in motion, and I suspect that out outrage is less than
effective. You must have a LOCAL advocate...preferably a lawyer who can
handle this for you.
I assume that you have given them copies of all the bills, showing where
the money went? Are they saying the taxes should have been paid FIRST
before you spent the insurance funds on the new house? That I could
understand, but as you explained it, their thinking doesn't compute. By
"financially ineligible for assistance from the city", do you refer to the
tax abatement that you hoped to get? I must confess I'm confused, and
again feel there is no way I can be of help here.
You have several weeks to find help there. Perhaps your legislator's aide
can refer you to an attorney who will take your case ? What about the
attorney (Harvey) who handled the payment? I wish I could see any
intervention by us on the list that would be effective--but this is a
matter for legalities, not anger, no matter how we feel about it. .
>Dear Nita, bob, Camilla, and LIST:
>
>Briefly ( I am too tired to type more):
>
>1) After an arduous battle, 129,00 dollars was finally released by
>Acadia Insurance Co. to me,
> for damages from an August, 1996 fire that destroyed my home and
>posssessions,. It was sent
>via attorney Chuck Harvey, in February, 1997.
>
>2) THe CIty of Portland's lawyers are claiming NOW that this 1996
>fire-damage insurance
>payment makes me financially ineligible for assistance from the City now,
>in 1999!! They claim
>that I had money from the settlement as late as recently, and throughout
>the applicable period
>the Maine Human RIghts Commission is considering, which is October , 1997
>- May 1998, during
>which time I am claiming discrimination.
>
>
>3) Despite what the City's lawyers just claimed on Oct. 20th,
>ALL $129,000.00 was used up by me by July, 1997. I kept it all in a
>separate
>checking account so I would not lose my Medicaid. Medicaid allows very
>limited
>cash assets. I think it is $2,000 (two thousand dollars) or less.
>
>It was used the insurance money as follows:
>
>a) Eleven or twelve checks to pay contractor KenToner $112,000 to rebuild
>and re-fit my home. All payments were completed by late July or early
>August, 1997.
> b) LaPierre Furniturture and Appliances about $3500 during April, May
>and June 1997
>for fridge, dishwahser, washing macahine and kitchen
>range and oven; to buy some furniture, and kitchen items-like microwave
>oven,
>I ran out long before I could get clothes , like a winter coat, and so
>forth.
>c)It was also used to pay rent for 7 months at Back
>Cove Estates, from Dec. 1996 - June 1997, (about $5000) while I waited
>for my burned
>home to be rebuilt from the foundation at $730/month, plus 2 months'
>security deposit.
>d) What was left went to long-distance calls and gasoline and various
>living
>expenses for the 11 months I was homeless(about $7,000)
>The city 's entire aragumeant is falsely based on my supposedly having
>plenty of
>money--in fact, I never replaced many, many things, still don't even have
>curtains,
>for example.
>
>My current bank balance is $147.00.
>Tonight the certified mail aautomatic foreclosure notice
>for back taxes and interest arrived. Dec 17 is the foreclosure
>date. It is for ab out 1400 dollars.
>
>The Human Rights COmmission vote is on Dec. 13th.
>
>Ivan Suzman
>:-)
Camilla Flintermann, CG for Peter 81/70/55
Oxford, Ohio
http://www.newcountry.nu/pd/members/camilla/one.htm
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