CC SR 20220621 E - Claim Against the City Katherine Anderson
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 06/21/2022
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action regarding a claim against the City by Katherine
Anderson.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
1) Reject the claim and direct Staff to notify the claimant, Katherine Anderson.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: Nathan Zweizig, Administrative Assistant
REVIEWED BY: Teresa Takaoka, City Clerk
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, City Manager
ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:
A. Katherine Anderson claim (page A-1)
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
The City of Rancho Palos Verdes (City) is a member of the California Joint Powers
Insurance Authority (Authority), which provides risk management services and handles
any liability claims received by the City. Under the current practice, claims presented t o
the City Clerk are forwarded by the Authority to a third-party claims administrator, Carl
Warren and Company (Carl Warren) for adjusting.
Carl Warren’s staff reviews each claim on its merits and contacts the City with any
requested action pertaining to the disposition of the claim. The City Clerk and the City
Attorney review each claim when received and work closely with Carl Warren throughout
the claims process.
1
Claimant:
On May 10, 2022, the City received a claim for damages from Katherine Anderson. The
claim was referred to Carl Warren for review and investigation. The claimant states that
on April 12, 2022, heavy winds caused a city tree to fall and caused damage to the
claimant’s mailbox. The claim alleges the City is at fault due to the trees rotting roots.
Deposition:
Carl Warren has reviewed the claim and found that there is no liability for the City as the
tree has been adequately maintained prior to its failure. Inspection post incident
discovered dry rot in the roots of the tree. There was no visual decay on the exterior. The
dry rot would not have been found until after tree failure . Carl Warren recommends
denying the claim for damages.
2
A-1
A-2
A-3