‘Good Samaritan’ bill supported by Staten Island architects , engineers

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, architects and engineers from across the nation were ready to volunteer their expertise by inspecting the more than 19,000 damaged homes in city flood zones.

But they didn't come to Staten Island or volunteer their time because they feared being sued under state tort law if a homeowner disagreed with their assessment.

"There wasn't an organized effort where hundreds of architects from around the country came to lend assistance," said Timothy Boyland, vice president of the New York State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

"The national chapter of AIA, and chapters within the city, were calling and asking how they could help [Staten Island]. But sending architects into a situation where they could be sued, wasn't something they were going to do," added Boyland, who also has a St. George-based firm, Vengoechea + Boyland, Architecture Urban Planning LLC.

For this reason, architects and engineers in the borough support new state legislation -- the Good Samaritan Bill -- recently introduced in the state Assembly. The bill calls for relieving engineers, architects, landscape architects and land surveyors of liability "for personal injury, wrongful death, property damage or other loss" when rendering "voluntary services without compensation" within 90 days of a natural disaster or catastrophe.

With nearly all the states along the East Coast protected under similar laws, local professionals say getting the bill passed is a "must" to avoid lengthy home inspection processes in the aftermath of future disasters.

"There are 24 other states that currently have Good Samaritan protection," said Boyland. He noted that New York and New Jersey are the only East Coast states in Sandy's path that don't have a Good Samaritan law. "And these are the two states that got the worst of Sandy," he said.

In the first few days after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the borough, about a dozen local architects accompanied city Department of Buildings inspectors to job sites, said Boyland.

"We had a group of volunteers who accompanied the DOB for three days to do inspections. But after the third day, it was clear the city wasn't going to be able to provide indemnification. After three days, that program ceased," he said. "Essentially, their [architects'] hands were tied.'"

However, during those three days, 12 Island-based architects conducted more than 400 assessments for storm-damaged homes, said Anselmo Genovese, president of AIA, Staten Island chapter,

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'Good Samaritan' bill supported by Staten Island architects , engineers