HomeMy WebLinkAbout974 - Bell, WayneClaim Against the City of Palm Dese ?,
For Damage(s) to Person(s) or Perso?iat,F6perty
Instructions: Please fill out this form completely. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in
delays in claim processing. If you need an accommodation to complete or submit this form, please contact
the City Clerk's Office Claims Coordinator at cityclerkCa7palmdesert.gov or (760) 346-0611.
Important Information:
1. Claims for death, injury to person or to personal property must be filed no later than six (6)
months after the occurrence.
2. Claims for damages to real property must be filed no later than one (1) year after the
occurrence. See Government Code §911.2.
3. Be sure claim is against the City of Palm Desert, not another public entity.
4. Claimant is advised to consult a private attorney if legal advice is desired. No employee of the
City may give legal advice to any claimant relating to private claims.
Instrucciones: Complete este formulario en su totalidad. Si no brinda informacion suficiente, pueden
demorar el procesamiento del reclamo. Si necesita alguna acomodacion para completar o enviar este
formulario, comuniquese con el Coordinador de Reclamos a la direccion de correo electronico
cityclerk(a)-palmdesert.gov o al telefono (760) 346-0611.
Informacion importante:
1. Los reclamos por muerte, lesiones personales o danos a Ia propiedad deben presentarse a mas
tardar seis (6) meses despues de haberse producido el hecho.
2. Los reclamos por danos a bienes inmuebles deben presentarse a mas tardar un (1) ano despues
de haberse producido el hecho. Consulte al codigo § 911.2 del gobierno de California.
3. AsegOrese su reclamo es hacia Ia ciudad de Palm Desert y no otra entidad pi blica.
4. Se aconseja at demandante consultar con un abogado privado si asi lo desean. Ningun empleado
de is ciudad puede brindar asesoramiento legal al demandante en relacion con reclamos privados.
Received U.S. Mail
Assigned Claim No. g Interoffice
Claimant Name/Nombre de Demandante:
LLL
Last Name (pellido)
Over -the -Counter
M.1. (lnicial de Segundo Nombre)
Suffix (Sufiio)
Preferred Phone Number/Numero de teiefono preferido:
EmaillCorreo Electronico:
L/? GjC(lc/a-1 Gip od. a1-
L/
I* represented by an attorney, provide name and address - Si cuenta con la representacion
de un abogado indique su nombre y domicilio:
..........._.............................................................
First Name (Hombre) Last Name (Apellido) Suffix (Sufijo)
Address/Domicilio:
........................______ _ ____
......................................... .
Street Number and Name (Numero y Nombre de Calle)
Unit Number (Numero de ApartamentoAJnidad)
..........................................................
City (Ciudad) State/Province/Region Estado
Zip Code (Cddigo Postal)
Date and time of damage/injury/loss — Fecha y la hora del dano, la lesion, o la perdida:
Date (F a} Time (Hors)
Location of damage/injury/loss (if known, include specific address) — Lugar donde ocurrio el
dano, Ia lesion, o la perdida (si conoce el domicilio, indiquelo):
2,y� 61
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Provide a general description of the indebtedness/obligation/damagefinjury/loss so far as it may
be known at the time of presentation of this claim. If there were no injuries, state "no injuries"
— De una descripci6n general del endeudamiento, obligacion, dano, lesion, o perdida al
momento de este reclamo. Si no hubo lesiones, indique "no lesiones":
d
Specify how the damage/injury/loss occurred — Especifique como se produjo el dano, la lesion,
o la perdida:
-* y' , *'-
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What particular actionlomission by the City, or its employee(s), caused the damage/injurylloss?
— Que accion u omision especifica de Ia ciudad o su(s) empleado(s) ocasionaron el dano, la
lesion, o la perdida?:
Provide the name(s) of the City employee(s) involved in the damagelinjury/loss, if known — Si lo
conoce, indique el nombre(s) de el/los empleado(s) de Ia ciudad involucrado(s) en el dano, Ia
lesion, o la perdida.
om,
Name(s) and and address(es) of any other person(s) injured — Nombre(s) y domicilio de otra(s)
persona(s) que sufrio lesiones:
Name(s) and address(es) of witness(es), if any — Nombre(s) y domicilio(s) de el/los testigos, si
los hubiera:
Name(s) and address(es) of all physician(s) or hospital(s) where claimant was treated, if any —
Nombre(s) y domicilio(s) del medico(s) u hospital(es) donde el demandante recibio tratamiento
silo hubiera:
Was a police report filed? — ,&Se hizo denuncia a la policia? YES NO
If yes, provide the police report number - Si se hizo una denuncia, indique el numero de la
denuncia:
Any additional Information that might be helpful in considering claim — Incluya cualquier otra
informacion que pueda resultar util para procesar el reclamo:
DAMAGES CLAIMED / DANOS RECLAMADOS:
If the amount claimed exceeds $10,000, it is not required that a dollar amount be provided. However, your claim
must indicate whether it would be a Limited Civil Case. A Limited Civil Case is one where the recovery sought,
exclusive of attorney fees, interest, and court costs, does not exceed $25,000. An Unlimited Civil Case is one
in which the recovery sought is more than $25,000.
Si el monto reclamado supera los $10,000, no es necesario indicar Ia cantidad en dolares. Sin embargo, el
reclamo debe indicar si se tratase de una Accion Civil Limitada. Una Accion Civil Limitada es una accion en la
que el resarcimiento pretendido no super los $25,000, sin incluir honorarios de abogados, intereses y costos del
tribunal. En una Accion Civil sin Limite, el resarcimiento pretendido supera los $25,000.
Damages Claimed/Davos reclamados:
Q Limited Civil Case (damages between $10,000 - $25,000) - Accion Civil Limitada (los danos ascienden
a $10,000 - $25,000)
Unlimited Civil Case (damages exceed $25,000) —Accion Civil sin Limite (los danos superan los $25,000)
If the amount claimed is under $10,000, state amount claimed — Si el monto reclamado es menos
de $10,000, indiquelo:
Basis for computation of amount claimed (include estimate/bills as an attachment, if possible)
— Base por lo que calculo el monto reclamado (si es possible proporcione con este reclamo
presupuestos/facturas): )6t )t
/ 7 7o
,;
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WARNING: IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO FILE A FALSE CLAIM.
CALIFORNIA INSURANCE CODE)
I certify under penalty of perjury that the facts herein above set forth
knowledge.
(CALIFORNIA PENAL CODE 72 AND
are true and correct to the best of my
ADVERTENCIA: ES UN DELITO PENAL PRESENTAR UN RECLAMO FALSO. (CODIGO PENAL DE
CALIFORNIA 72 Y CODIGO DE SEGUROS DE CALIFORNIA) Por la presente certifico bajo pena de
perjurio que los hechos establecidos anteriormente son verdaderos y correctos a mi leal saber y enteder.
Signed this d -U D day of
�y3L-eL
Signature of Claimant/Firma de Demandante
, 20 5 , at
Signature of Claimant/Firma de Demandante
When a California city undertakes road work that is poorly planned, executed inefficiently, or
unnecessarily prolonged, resulting in harm to nearby small businesses, the issue can fail
under **administrative negligence** or **government liability for negligent public works
management** While cities are generally protected by sovereign Immunity, California law
provides specific exceptions where negligence or mismanagement can create liability.
## Legal Framework in California
**1. Government Code §816 et seq.**
California's Government Claims Act establishes that public entities are generally immune
from liability unless a specific statute authorizes it. However, *815.6 provides that a
public entity is liable if:
"it is under a mandatory duty imposed by an enactment that is designed to protect against
the risk of a particular kind of injury."
if a city falls to follow mandatory procedures —such as safety, permitting, or construction
management standards —affected parties may claim **administrative negligence** under this
section.
**2. Negligent Planning or Execution**
When a city's road project is:
- Poorly planned or lacks proper traffic management,
- Unnecessarily delayed due to mismanagement, or
- Executed in a way that restricts access to businesses beyond what is reasonable,
then the city's conduct may be considered **negligent administration of a public
improvement** Courts have recognized that even though cities have discretion in planning,
they must still act **reasonably and competently** in execution.
**3. Inverse Condemnation (Col. Const. Art. 1, §19)**
If a city's prolonged or negligent construction effectively deprives a business of access or
use of its property, the owner may claim **inverse condemnation** —arguing that the
government's actions amounted to a "taking" without just compensation.
California courts have held that **substantial interference with access or business
operations** can trigger compensation if the interference is unreasonable or avoidable.
## Relevant Case Examples
I Case I Key Point i Outcome I
------I------------I----------I
i *Bauer v. County of Ventura* (1955) 1 County's road project blocked access to business for
months I Court found substantial interference and allowed damages I
I *Holtz v. Superior Court* (1970) ( Construction damage and disruption from public project
Established that inverse condemnation applies to unreasonable interference I
I *Customer Co. v. City of Sacramento* (1995) 1 City immunity under Gov. Code §8151
Confirmed that negligence claims must tie to a specific statutory duty I
These cases show that while cities have broad discretion, **they can be held liable when their
conduct is unreasonable or negligent** in carrying out public works.
## Remedies for Affected Businesses
Small businesses impacted by negligent or prolonged city road work can pursue several
actions:
- **File a Government Claim** under the California Government Claims Act within six months
of the incident.
- **Document all losses**, including reduced revenue, customer access issues, and property
damage.
- **Consult a municipal or inverse condemnation attorney** to assess whether the city's
conduct meets the threshold for negligence or a compensable taking.
- **Engage with city councils or chambers of commerce** to advocate for mitigation measures
such as signage, temporary access routes, or business assistance programs.
## Summary
In California, a city that performs road work negligently —through poor planning,
mismanagement, or unreasonable delays —can be held accountable under **administrative
negligence** or **inverse condemnation** principles. While cities enjoy certain immunities,
they are not shielded from liability when their actions directly and foreseeabfy harm small
businesses by depriving them of access or income. Businesses facing such harm should act
promptly to document evidence and pursue both administrative and legal remedies