STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island residents are speaking out after they say their property was damaged during recent snow-clearing operations following the Feb. 23 winter storm that dumped more than two feet of snow across the borough.
Staten Islander Chris Messalas said the incident occurred on Carlton Place, where MOE Trucking LLC, a Lorton, Virginia-based company, was working with three Bobcat machines. While clearing the streets, the crew allegedly tore up the family’s lawn and Belgian blocks, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
“My wife initially confronted the subcontractor immediately after noticing the damage,” said Messalas. “The individual in the truck was sleeping in his vehicle. At first, he denied that his crew had worked here, and when he admitted he had, he told my wife he couldn’t help her.”
Damage to a property on Carlton Place is seen after snow-clearing operations on Staten Island. (Courtesy of Chris Messalas)(Courtesy of Chris Messalas)
The following day, Messalas said he called the company personally.
“Despite being polite, he yelled at me, made an obscene comment and hung up,” said Messalas.
MOE Trucking LLC did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Frustrated by the treatment, the family reached out to several offices for assistance, including the office of Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, which provided contact information for sanitation authorities. The family also filed a report with 311.
Messalas said his wife later attempted to file a case in small claims court, but was told she couldn’t because the company involved isn’t registered in New York.
“I now have to go through the NYC Comptroller,” said Messalas, estimating the damage will cost between $8,000 and $9,000 to repair. “It feels like there is no justice in this situation.”
Messalas also questioned why contractors from outside the state were used to clear the snow.
“It is appalling that a subcontractor from out of state would destroy our property and act in such an unprofessional manner,” he said. “I am frustrated that these lucrative contracts are not given to people within our own community who would treat the neighborhood with more respect.”
Bricks on Chris Messalas’ Carlton Place property were damaged during snow-clearing operations. He estimates repairs could cost $8,000 to $9,000. (Courtesy of Chris Messalas)(Courtesy of Chris Messalas)
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, another Staten Island property owner who asked not to be identified said a sidewalk along Forest Avenue was damaged during snow-clearing work days after the Feb. 23 storm.
The owner said the sidewalk outside the vacant property had already been shoveled, leaving more than the required four feet of clearance. They later discovered the sidewalk had been damaged when crews cleared snow ahead of the borough’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 1.
“To make matters worse, they tried to cover it up a little bit with salt,” said the property owner. “There was no accountability. Nobody got in touch with me that this happened.”
The property owner said they contacted the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District and the office of Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat who represents the North Shore. They were then advised to file a claim with the city Comptroller’s Office.
A sanitation supervisor later visited the property, took photos of the damaged sidewalk and provided paperwork to begin the claims process.
Before and after photos of a damaged sidewalk along Forest Avenue after snow-clearing operations on Staten Island. (Courtesy of the property owner)(Courtesy of the property owner)
“My son is trying to help me to e-file the claim with the Comptroller’s office, which is not easy,” said the property owner. “In the meantime, I am left with a badly damaged sidewalk.”
When reached for comment, a City Hall spokesperson did not address the use of out-of-state contractors during recent snow cleanups, but commended the job that sanitation workers did to clear the streets.
“Thousands of Sanitation Workers worked quickly and safely to get the streets plowed and open during the two recent winter storms, operating 20-ton collection trucks as massive amounts of snow fell around them,” the spokesperson said.
City officials said anyone who believes their property was damaged by an on-duty city employee should file a claim with the New York City Comptroller’s Office.
A spokesperson for the Comptroller’s Office said that while they could not comment on specific situations, New Yorkers who believe they sustained property damage can submit claims through their website.