Community Watchdog: Troublesome LIPA bill settled

It took more than seven months, but Jasmine Puranda of Deer Park, has finally settled a dispute over her home LIPA bill. In February, her bill was $1,096.45, which included an outstanding balance. Her bills averaged $125 to $150 a month, but her March bill was $5,580.01, and LIPA insisted it was correct.

We told readers about her problem in late July and asked LIPA to try to resolve what we thought was a glitch of some kind. Spokesman Mark Gross said the utility would arrange for Puranda to speak directly to the billing supervisors and maybe work out a payment plan. But Puranda insisted she didn't want a payment plan on a balance that was incorrect.

Last week, Puranda gave us the good news: "We did resolve the issue," she said. "It was amicable on both sides. In fact, I made my first payment on the balance."

By the time they settled the issue, her electric bill was just over $6,000 because she wasn't paying anything until the problem was resolved. "They knocked that down by about $4,000," she said. "Given where the bill was, it is definitely a fair resolution."

Puranda said she appreciates efforts made by the LIPA staff to help her. "I was grateful for their effort in the issue. I'm pleased with the outcome."

Standoff continues over wall

We often tell readers they need to have patience to resolve their problems because, if government is involved, things move s-l-o-w-l-y. Add the court system into the equation and things seem to stand still. Take the case of Neslyn and Rebecca D'Souza of Huntington, who have been trying to have a retaining wall owned by their neighbor be built to code so his yard doesn't mudslide into theirs. They live on a hill, and the neighbor's backyard is higher than the D'Souzas' by about 20 feet. It's been more than three years since they complained to the Town of Huntington about the problem - and that's with the town trying to help them.

We first highlighted the problem in July 2009 after the neighbor replaced a rotting wall with one that town engineers declared dangerous. The town doesn't get involved in aesthetics, but when we saw it, it looked like a collapsed mine shaft. By then, the town had been involved for a year. The town took the D'Souza's neighbor to court because he didn't rebuild the wall when he was supposed to, but Third District Court Judge C. Stephen Hackeling has allowed postponements and deadline extensions.

In March, we updated the problem, after the neighbor erected what looks a basement wall foundation, which town engineers inspected and found to be unsound. For three years now, the D'Souza family, including son, Nicholas, and daughter, Grace, have been unable to use their backyard.

In June, the neighbor and town were back in court. The neighbor's engineer declared the wall safe. The town engineers insisted it wasn't. The neighbor agreed to an evaluation by a third engineer chosen by the town, which Hackeling approved. The town has been waiting for three months for the report from the third engineer, town spokesman A.J. Carter said.

The case will be back in court Sept. 29, if it's not postponed again. Stay tuned.

New bridge signs alert drivers

In July, we wrote about Alfred Daly, of Westbury, and his concerns over large vehicles using the Ellison Avenue overpass in Westbury. After our calls, Nassau police Third Precinct and the Village of Westbury agreed to review and upgrade the bridge's signage to give drivers a chance to choose an alternate route.

The sign upgrades have been made and police are now ready to step up enforcement.

Village Clerk Ted Blach said that additional "No Commercial Traffic" signs have been posted at intersections where Ellison Avenue meets Jericho Turnpike, Old Country Road, Asbury Road and Maple Avenue. The existing weight-limit signs were left in place, he said.

The state Department of Transportation rating for the overpass indicates a need for corrective maintenance or restoration. Under state law, the MTA Long Island Rail Road maintains the bridge's framework and abutments and the village maintains the roadway.

"Let me be clear, the bridge is safe for most vehicles to traverse," Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro said. "The rerouting of large trucks and buses is a precaution . . . but certainly not evidence of an immediate or imminent danger."

Third Precinct residents with concerns about sign enforcement should call 516-573-6300.

- Michael R. Ebert