FAQs
City Attorney
The City of East Palo Alto has a standard Claim form that can be used for your convenience.
You can download the Claim form, pick one up in person at the Office of the City Attorney, or by calling 650-853-5901.
The Tort Claims Act establishes the time limits for filing a claim for money or damages (Government Code § 911.2). Generally a claim relating to death or injury to a person or to personal property should be filed within 6 months from the date of an occurrence.
For claims of property damage, please attach two separate estimates for the damages being claimed. Depending on the type of damage, we may require an appraisal inspection.
If you want to, you can go ahead and have the repairs completed. However, keep in mind that the city may not approve your claim for reimbursement after its investigation. You should take photographs of the damage before repairs are made in order to substantiate your claim. Remember that a governmental entity will consider pre-loss condition in evaluating damages.
You should file a Late Claim Application using the same Claim form but title it as such and explain in detail why the claim is late. The Late Claim Application may be granted or denied. The city will only consider the merits of the claim if the Late Claims Application is granted (Government Code § 911.4).
Provide a breakdown of how you calculated the amount that you are claiming. Attach copies of bills, payment receipts, photographs, diagrams, and other supporting documents for your claim.