WASHINGTON — Some Northeast DC residents are seeking compensation for repairs to their home after flying construction materials damaged it last week.
Corey Hamilton lives on 19th Street Northeast in DC’s Carver Langston neighborhood with his partner Juan McCullum.
Hamilton and McCullum said construction material from a condominium project across the street from their home landed on their porch and car around the same time a tornado was spotted on H Street Northeast last Thursday.
Following the incident, the developer of the condominium project, Michael Lewis, declared Hamilton and McCullum would be made “whole” following their losses.
“They will be made whole,” said Lewis, who is the principal member of Nationwide Properties. “That’s the bottom line.”
However, a week later, Hamilton and McCullum have expressed frustration with the process to seek reimbursement so far.
Hamilton said he and McCullum are caught in the middle of a disagreement between insurers as to who should pay for repairs to their property.
“The general contractor’s insurance company is blaming the building owner’s insurance company,” Hamilton said. “The building owner’s insurance company is blaming the general construction contractor. My insurance company is kind of standing back, waiting for them to figure out who is going to pay for it.”
Currently, Hamilton and McCullum cannot enter through the front door of their home due to the damage that occurred on the porch. They have also already had to pay $600 for a rental car since the car they had was totaled.
Hamilton said the entire process dealing with the insurers has left he and McCullum with few answers as to when they will actually be reimbursed. Hamilton said he was told by one insurance company it could take weeks or months for the process to be remedied.
“We’re just in limbo not knowing what’s going to happen next,” he said.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Sydelle Moore said she believes Lewis and his firm should step in immediately to cover damages associated with last week’s incident.
“Everything that hit their porch were materials from his worksite,” Moore said. “And, so when you are doing business, sometimes part of the cost of doing business is taking responsibility for unforeseen events.”
Lewis told WUSA9 he was unaware of Hamilton and McCullum’s complaints regarding the insurance process.
“This is the first I’m hearing about all of this,” Lewis said Friday. “From the last conversation I had with my neighbors, everything was underway. They were pleased with how things were moving.”
However, Lewis said he was not interested in rushing the process.
“I want to do things the right way,” he said. “I want to follow procedure. I don’t want to miss any steps.”
Lewis also reiterated that Hamilton and McCullum will be compensated for their losses.
“When everything transpires, they will be compensated,” he said. “They will be made whole, but we’ve got to go through the procedure.”
Hamilton says he just wants things to be made right.
“Simply enjoying [our] home, we can’t do that now,” he said.