May 24, 1982

SUBJECT: INSURANCE

WITHDRAWN

CIRCULAR Letter No. 14 (1982)

TO: ALL INSURERS LICENSED TO WRITE FIRE INSURANCE IN NEW YORK STATE

SUBJECT: TAX DISTRICT CLAIMS AGAINST FIRE INSURANCE PROCEEDS

This will supplement our Circular Letters, No. 30, dated November 27, 1979, and No. 9, dated July 28, 1980, concerning the captioned subject. It will also have reference to Circular Letter No. 9, dated April 30, 1982 with respect to insurer cooperation with tax districts in their investigation of fire losses.

We are attaching a current listing of the index of tax districts which have filed with this Department a notice of intention to claim against fire insurance proceeds in accordance with Section 33-a of the Insurance Law.

We have received complaints from certain tax districts on our list, indicating that fires have occurred in these districts and no notifications have been received from insurers regarding losses sustained nor have demands in writing been made for certification from enforcing officers of these districts regarding all liens of the districts on the properties in question, as required by Section 33-a(4). The Department wishes to remind all insurers of their obligations under Section 33-a.

The Department also wants to re-emphasize that when payments are made to municipalities in accordance with Section 33-a to satisfy the lien, in whole or in part, the draft or check shall be made payable to the enforcing officer of the municipality and shall not include any other payee.

In the event a certificate of lien is served and no payment is forthcoming to the municipality because of a mortgagee's interest or for any other reason, the insurer shall notify the enforcing officer of the municipality of the disposition of the loss proceeds.

In accordance with Regulation 96, referred to in Circular Letter No. 9 (1982), insurers are required to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, investigative insurance organizations engaged in loss prevention, tax districts acting pursuant to the provisions of Section 22 of the General Municipal Law with respect to liens for unpaid property taxes and with appropriate governmental agencies responsible for demolition of structures, by releasing loss information to assist such agencies or organizations in their respective investigations.

Acknowledgment of this letter, and inquiries with respect to additional tax districts that file with this Department subsequent to the date of this Circular Letter, should be addressed to:

Mr. J. William McClintock

Senior Insurance Examiner

Property and Casualty Insurance Bureau

New York State Insurance Department

2 World Trade Center

New York, NY 10047

(212) 488-4008

Very truly yours,

[SIGNATURE]

Albert B. Lewis

Superintendent of Insurance

 

ATTACHMENT

Tax Districts filing notice of intention to claim against fire insurance proceeds and offices to be contacted

County of Albany

Cathy A. Brower

Director of Finance

County of Albany

Albany Courthouse

Albany, NY 12207

(518) 445-7689

City of Amsterdam

Walter A. Hroncich

City Controller

61 Church Street

Amsterdam, NY 12010

(518) 842-5000

City of Buffalo

Michael Norwood

Assistant Corporation Counsel

Mayor's Task Force on Housing

50 Delaware Avenue

Buffalo, NY 14202

(716) 847-8256

County of Chautauqua

M.D. Nelson

Finance Director

County Office Building

Mayville, NY 14757

(716) 753-4223

Village of Fleischmanns

Rose Green

Village Clerk and Treasurer

Library Building

Fleischmanns, NY 12430

(914) 254-5514

County of Franklin

William A. Huges

Franklin County Treasurer

Court House

Malone, NY 12953

(518) 473-6767, ext. 209

Village of Freeport

James Lyons

Village Treasurer

46 North Ocean Avenue

Freeport, NY 11520

(516) 378-4000

Village of Green Island

Francis X. Houle III

Deputy Treasurer

Village of Green Island

20 Clinton Street

Green Island, NY 12183

(518) 273-0661

Village of Hempstead

William F. Sammon, Jr.

Village Clerk

Village of Hempstead

99 Nichols Court

Hempstead, NY 11551

(516) 489-3400

Village of Kenmore

Phyllis Higgins

Village Clerk/Treasurer

Village of Kenmore

2919 Delaware Avenue

Kenmore, NY 14217

(716) 873-5700

Town of Lewisboro

Robert Neukirch

Town Supervisor

Town of Lewisboro

South Salem, NY 10590

(914) 763-3511

Village of Liberty

Emmagene Travis

Clerk/Treasurer

Municipal Building

Village of Liberty

Liberty, NY 12754

(914) 292-6820

City of Long Beach

Catherine Pirrone

City Hall

One West Chester Street

Long Beach, NY 11561

(516) 431-1000 ext. 233

Village of Malone

Elizabeth Pessette

Village Clerk

Malone Village Office

14 Elm Street

Malone, NY 12953

(518) 483-4570

City of Middleton

Nicholas F. Vuolo

City Clerk/Treasurer

City Hall

16 James Street

Middletown, NY 10940

(914) 343-3187

County of Monroe

Lucien A. Morin

County Manager/Director

of Finance

110 County Office Building

Rochester, NY 14614

(716) 428-5301

City of Mount Vernon

Peter Pucillo, Comptroller

Department of Finance

Municipal Building

Roosevelt Square

Mount Vernon, NY 10550

(914) 668-2200 ext. 200

City of Newburgh

Marlene A. Koisch, City Clerk

City of Newburgh

City Hall

Newburgh, NY 12550

(914) 565-3209

City of New York

Daniel Poinson

City Collector

New York City Dept. of

Finance

139 Centre Street

New York, NY 10013

ATTN: Evelyn Booker

(212) 566-2460

City of New Rochelle

Richard P. Devine

Commissioner of Finance

515 North Avenue

New Rochelle, NY 10801

(914) 632-2021 ext. 221

City of Ogdensburg

Erno S. Moore

City Controller

City Hall

330 Ford Street

Ogdensburg, NY 13665

(315) 393-1860

City of Oneida

Louis K. Esengard

City Chamberlain

109 No. Main Street

Oneida, NY 13421

(315) 363-4800

County of Orange

John Keller

Commissioner of Finance

Orange County Government

Center

Goshen, NY 10924

(914) 294-5151 ext. 116

County of Orleans

Lois Brandt

Clerk of the Legislature

County Court Building

Albion, NY 14411

(716) 589-7053

Village of Williamsville

Theresa L. Cummins

Village Clerk/Treasurer

Village of Williamsville

5583 Main Street

Williamsville, NY 14221

(716) 632-4120

County of Wyoming

Shirley T. Holbrook

Treasurer - County of Wyoming

Wyoming County Treasurer's Office

Court House Building

Warsaw, NY 14569

(716) 786-2660

City of Yonkers

Harold J. Peterson

Commissioner of Fiscal Services

City of Yonkers

City Hall

Yonkers, NY 10701

(914) 963-3980 exts. 321, 322

County of Otsego

James A. Higgins

Otsego County Treasurer

County Office Building

197 Main Street

Cooperstown, NY 13326

(607) 547-4208

City of Poughkeepsie

Howard Stern

Commissioner of Finance

Muncipal Building

Civic Center Plaza

Poughkeepsie, NY 12602

(914) 485-4888

City Rochester

Jeffrey Eichner

Municipal Attorney

City of Rochester

400A City Hall

Rochester, NY 14614

(716) 428-6810

City of Schenectady

Bruno L. Pezzano, Director of Finance

City of Schenectady

Schenectady, NY 12305

(518) 382-5010

Village of Spring Valley

Julia Jacaruso

Clerk/Treasurer

8 Maple Street

Village of Spring Valley, NY 10977

(914) 352-1100

County of Suffolk

Ms. Jean H. Tuthill

Suffolk County Treasurer

Suffolk County Center

Riverhead, NY 11901

(516) 548-3700

County of Sullivan

Richard I. Coombe

Sullivan County Treasurer

County Government Center

Monticello, NY 12701

(914) 794-3000 ext. 102

City of Syracuse

Frank L. Canino, Comm. of Finance

City of Syracuse

106 City Hall

Syracuse, NY 13202

(315) 473-4290

City of Troy

Barbara Flynn

City Treasurer

City Hall

One Monument Square

Troy, NY 12180

(518) 270-4406

County of Ulster

Louis C. Kirschner

Ulster County Treasurer

Ulster County Office Building

240 Fair Street

Kingston, NY 12401

(914) 331-9300

City of Utica

Louis A. Barile, City Treasurer

City of Utica

One Kennedy Plaza

Utica, NY 13502

(315) 798-3210

County of Wayne

Lois Van Hoover

Wayne County Treasurer

9 Pearl Street

Lyons, NY 14489

(315) 946-4823