Pothole question. Nobody will own up to digging the hole.

[left footed whooten]

Okay, no short way to tell this one. 6/10/06 My GF was driving our other car, a 2000 S4 that has 35 series 19's on it (not by our choice) towrds our house in Reno. As she drove over a blind crest, an unmarked ginormous pothole (a maintenance pothole, not a worn-out-pavement pothole) came into view just in time for her to react as she hit it......B-A-N-G! Flat spots on both front wheels and the teuton now pulls right, hard. She was going under the speed limit in fact, and there was no marking this pothole which was 4" deep. Pictures were taken immediately, and we returned later in the day (she was driving home at 5:30 am after working as a sleeptech all night....she needed some sleep) for more pictures in better light. Well....when we returned to the scene, there was a cone marking it off, but still not very well.

Chapter two....
City of Reno risk management was phoned. They claimed no involvement with this pothole which was cut and dug by SOMEONE. It had spray paint markings all around it. The power and gas company was phoned, "not us"....the water company was called, "not us". Hmmmm....well, after a visit to the city offices, we came across the permit (with a reference number) for the dig via the risk manager....permit was pulled via the power company. The power company was visited, again "not us". The "fingers" now point at some private construction entity that was cutting pavement and digging on a city road.
1. Now, wouldn't you think that on a city maintained road, that they would know or have record of who is digging in their damn tarmac? Rat smell #1.
2. If the permit was located and identified as the power/gas co (Sierra Pacific), what measures could one take to confirm that it either was or was not them, I mean, SOMEONE had to pull a permit to dig in a damn public road. How many different permits for the same piece of road, on the same dates could exist? Rat smell # 2.
3. This issue is now going on an entire month without a formal claim being filed, since we cant pin down who to file a claim with. We have pictures, estimates, the whole s***aree. Both of us are way too busy dealing with school (nursing for me, MCAT training for her) to be able to deal with all this run around, and neither of us has room in our budget for a lawyer.
4. We were trying to sell the damn car at the time, and have had an ad running. Sweet ride, but its just too much car for two students to own, german maintenance costs FTL 60K mi ($1000 washer pump R&R; $1000 ABS module rebuild; $450 rear brakes; $1000 fuel pump R&R) We aquired the car on a fluke, as neither of us are rich, and live on scholarships and loans.
5. Has anyone had any sort of experience similar to this? Can you offer any advice short of automatic weaponry? Should we get the risk management team out to see the dig site (which is now filled in) so we can confirm that we are talking about the same location? We were very specific, it is at the intersection of Taylor and Forest in the rightmost southbound lane and we have pics of the pothole and the damage, which have been shown to Reno Risk Mgmt. I'd post pics, but I have no idea how to post pics.
Any advice appreciated, as well as comic relief. This scenario is just one big bag of dicks.

[Pat R.]

Was there a name on the cone? Most contractors put their name on their traffic control equipment in a feeble attempt to prevent poaching.

The City of Reno is horrible when it comes to permit inspection. I have missed out on millions of dollars in revenue through my shop because of their defacto refusal to enforce their own codes. The crap I see contractors get away with makes me wonder if the City inspectors ever inspect anything other than the bottom of their coffee mug and the Keno board at the Gold Dust West.

PM me the permit # and I'll see if I can get someone from the legions of disaffected city workers I know to get some better info than RM was able to.

[left footed whooten]

Thanks, I will PM that when she returns home this evening. Right now, Reno maintains that the permit # connects to Sierra Pacific, Sierra Pacific maintains that it is not theirs, yet somehow they miraculously know that a private contractor did it. Ohhhhh I wish that the cone had a name on it, but nope. The cone didn't appear until after a call was made to Reno risk mgmt, so someone knows something. There should be photos appearing here soon:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...8#post14415168

[Dean]

Whoever had the permit is the one to go after. If they subbed it, that is their problem.

[left footed whooten]

Yeah, we're going to have to go back to the City of Reno building and have them show us the permit. We were given the permit number and were verbally told that it was SierraPacific. If the permit is in fact theirs, then BAM! But of course, I expect noone to surrender without a fight. In the meantime, our insurance, through AAA, is going to be further called upon in this matter. We feel rather abandoned given that we have "full" coverage. They basically told us to pursue City of Reno on our own, and I'm afraid that they need to have more of a presence in this matter. ~$1800/year for "sorry charlie, go get them yourselves"?!?!?!!?!!?
This is a big, steaming pile full of nuts and corn.......slathered in asparagus piss.

[dknv]

Originally Posted by left footed whooten

We feel rather abandoned given that we have "full" coverage. They basically told us to pursue City of Reno on our own, and I'm afraid that they need to have more of a presence in this matter. ~$1800/year for "sorry charlie, go get them yourselves"?!?!?!!?!!? ...

I share your pain, when the potato truck ran over the front of my blue car, with obvious picture evidence and a police report that stated the truck made an illegal turn (though the driver was not cited), State Farm didn't pursue the claim with the trucking company's insurance company. Despite a $20k+ payout for the total loss of my car. It was too much trouble for them to pursue further than 10 minutes of pushing paper and 10 minutes of phone calls. I was told I could pursue my own damages through small claims.

But, good for you guys, keep at them. Don't get mad, get even.

[left footed whooten]

Bump for visiting City of Reno right now.

[sperry]

Ahh, I'm freaking out! It's like everything is happening twice!

Good luck!

[sperry]

Oh, and here are the pics from NASIOC:

[JonnydaJibba]

Originally Posted by sperry

Ahh, I'm freaking out! It's like everything is happening twice!

Good luck!

De ja vu. I think the Matrix is borked.

[Bob Danger]

To hell with Reno! Lets burn it down!

[left footed whooten]

Ahhh and it has ended. We came out on top. I am in disbelief. I never win. Click the link to NASIOC that either I or sperry provided. Big, big ups to Gary the Risk Manager for City of Reno and Trevor and Tad at Compact Car Repair/Automotion. We would be so screwed without Gary and all his help.

[tysonK]

way to get the man.