By June Watanabe
Thursday, January 9, 1997
Q: While I was driving on the stretch of Kalakaua Avenue between Philip and Kanunu streets, a fruit fell from one of the trees that grow on the medial strip and dented the hood of my car. I want to file a claim to have my hood repaired. Which government agency do I approach and what are the procedures to file a claim? Call city for form to file property-damage claim
Since the incident occurred on a city street, call the corporation counsel's office at 523-4639. You will be mailed four copies of a negligence claim form; keep one and mail back the others.
Basic information should include date, time, place of the incident, plus names of witnesses, if any, and copies of photos, if any.
There is no charge. After you return the forms, one will be given to the appropriate department to check. In your case, someone would inspect the site and determine first of all if the tree is privately owned or owned by another government agency.
If the tree doesn't belong to the city, then your claim will be forwarded to the person/agency who may be responsible.
Q: I live in Waikiki and regularly walk past the Ala Wai Marina boat repair business. Why are they allowed to use the city sidewalk to store equipment and do work?
Yours was the second complaint within the past three months we received about the business allegedly overstepping onto government property. First of all, the sidewalk area in question is not city-owned, but under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Small Boat Harbors Division. Coincidentally, Stephen Thompson, Oahu district manager for the division, was in the area when city building inspectors forwarded your complaint to him. He said he saw no violations that day.
"It does happen on infrequent occasions," Thompson said.
It's usually not the boat yard at fault, he said, but individual boat owners who may be working on their vessels. Owners can either hire the boat yard or do repair work on the site themselves. In the past, when there have been violations, "the boat yard then takes corrective action," he said.
If you have complaints or concerns, call the boat yard or the Ala Wai Harbor Master's office at 973-9727, Thompson said.
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