Send your snapchats @detroitlawyers. Seriously.
Worst. Winter. Ever.
Unless you’ve been inside since Halloween, you’re well aware that this has been an especially gross winter. Detroit has already locked up the bragging rights for most miserable winter. At this point, I’m cheering for the last couple inches of snow to set an all-time record for Detroit. Understandably, today’s storm made it difficult for all of our appointments to make it in. I figured I’d use my extra free time to share some of the highlights from my twitter timeline.
Corktown St. Patrick’s Parade
I’m too out of shape to run the 5k this year, but you can count me in for the parade. The 56th annual parade starts at noon from 6th street and Michigan Ave. I believe it takes about 2 hours for all the marching bands, floats, and clowns to get to 14th street. If you spot me there, say hi and I’ll buy you a green beer! Here’s the link to the 5k race in case you’re ambitious enough to run in freezing temperatures.
Brewster Projects Demolition + Drones
ICYMI: On Monday, excavators started tearing down what remains of the Brewster Douglass Housing Projects. You have to check out the aerial footage provided by drones.
Detroit Bankruptcy Updates
The City of Detroit Bankruptcy Plan of Adjustment has been filed in the Eastern District of Michigan Bankruptcy Court. Basically, this is how much of its $18 billion debt the city says it can afford to pay. Creditors (including city employees and retirees) will be able to vote on the plan in about a month.
The plan offers pensioners in uniform 96% of their monthly pension and 74% to general pensioners (that drops to 90% and 66% if they refuse to accept the City’s offer). If the pensioners vote no on the plan, they would be losing $820 million being raised by the state, Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), and other foundations. General unsecured bondholders are being offered 20%. $1.5 billion is also being set aside as part of the plan to fight blight and improve services for the residents of Detroit.
Bankruptcy Judge, Steven Rhodes, will hold a hearing on April 14th to determine if the disclosure statement contains enough information. If it does, ballots will be mailed to creditors so they can vote on the plan. Without any other delays, the final hearing would start July 16th.
Reno dog in Detroit
Michigan Potholes
The good news is that spring isn’t too far away. The bad news is that the roads should be especially terrible this summer. Yesterday, Michigan lawmakers approved $215 million for pothole repair and infrastructure construction. If your car was damaged from a pothole MDOT knew about for 30 days then you might have some luck getting them to pay you back (but I wouldn’t hold my breath). The form to make a claim can be found here.
This also makes me think I should be doing something more useful with www.michiganpotholes.com and www.detroitpotholes.com. If you have any brilliant ideas I’d love to hear from you. You can snapchat me pothole pictures to the username ‘detroitlawyers’… seriously.
Stay warm.