The regulations of the CVB say that if your claim is denied, you are entitled to a hearing with three board members. (You can also ask the board member who decided your case to reconsider, which I talked about a bit already.) There are five board members, and three of the other four are selected to hear and decide your appeal after the initial claim was denied.
Here's the thing about the hearing, if you do not live in New York City.
There is no board member in the room at your hearing in Albany. NONE of the three board members who hear your case are in the room interacting with you and your witnesses.
If you are a NY state resident who does not live in NYC, you talk to a video screen to one board member in NYC. And then two other board members look at the video later, and never interact with you or the witnesses.
I asked Maria Phelps about her hearing in NYC. There were board members in the hearing. I learned from the CVB lawyer that if your case is in Albany, you just get the video "hearing", and with one board member.
That's not what the CVB regulations say.
But of course, the New York State Crime Victims Board makes it up and does what they want to do, and say that is okay. Who cares about laws?
UPDATE: I told Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski about this problem today, and I will monitor his response.
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The New York office is worse than you suggest in your writing.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the law permits NYSCVB emergency compensation up to $6,000, there is a caseworker in Brooklyn that I spoke to last month named Bert, who flat out said from that budget line they only give $2,500, towards burial costs and never help people in emergencies.
However, it takes soooooo long to get your claim processed you will be evicted (like me) and it is why I post here so I can get on TV.
The Crime Vicitum Boards monthly process (8 weeks and where is my travel reimbursement HELLO!) slow and underpaying process only increases the damage started by the criminal.
Hospitals don't trust this group because they pay the hospitals so slowly that they also feel they are financing the state.
If anyone wants a good news story, post your search for real information here and I will email you.