Compensation for Power Surge Rejected

Nearly 200 South Los Angeles residents whose appliances were ruined in December when a bullet struck a main power line and triggered a surge will not be compensated by the Department of Water and Power, a City Council committee decided Tuesday.

Deputy City Atty. Thomas Hokinson said the city had rejected claims by 190 residents because the random act of vandalism was not the DWP’s fault. Some residents have since filed a class-action suit against the city. Hokinson told the council’s Budget and Finance Committee that any payment to the residents would be a “gift” and would “set an unbelievable precedent.”

The claims averaged $850, for an estimated total of $150,000, officials said. The Dec. 19 power surge affected 1,836 DWP customers. If each resident made a similar claim, the total could top $1.5 million.

Councilwoman Rita Walters, who represents the area, noted that the city made a special effort to speedily process and pay claims by residents of North Hollywood whose property was damaged by the massive shootout after a bank robbery there earlier this year, and suggested a similar remedy for the neighborhood near 51st and San Pedro streets.

But after meeting behind closed doors to discuss the pending lawsuit, the three-member committee decided not to take any action.