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Title: 9/11 victimÂ’s kids grew up in poverty unaware of $1M payout
Source:
NY Post
URL Source: http://nypost.com/2015/08/03/911-vi ... unaware-of-compensation-money/
Published: Aug 4, 2015
Author: Julia Marsh and Lia Eustachewich
Post Date: 2015-08-04 08:57:19 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 238
The three sons of a 9/11 victim lived in poverty for more than a decade after government officials failed to deliver more than $1 million they were awarded in victim compensation money, The Post has learned. Ty-Shawn Ward, Trent Ward and Dujon Holland — whose father, John Holland, was killed while working in the kitchen at Windows on the World — never knew they were entitled to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund windfall. The funds were approved for disbursement in 2004, but they were never told due to a lapse in oversight by Manhattan Surrogate’s Court officials and subsequent red tape. At the time the sons were represented by court-appointed guardian Linda Sosnowitz, who told the court in 2005 that she wanted the money set aside for the boys’ education. But that never happened. The money flew under the radar for years, bouncing between a city Department of Finance account and one with the state Comptroller’s Office, where it sat in a pool of $12 billion in unclaimed funds. Queens lawyer Salvatore Diliberto finally dug up the money in 2013, and the brothers were able to cash in earlier this year. “These were three young men living in public housing that could’ve certainly used the money,” Diliberto told The Post. He blasted court officials for never notifying the boys in the following years that the money was still there. “If you can’t find three guys, then you probably can’t find the five fingers on your right hand,” Diliberto said. The funds were released earlier this year: $346,598.23 to Ty-Shawn, 28; $296,074.29 to Trent, 23; and $359,775.67 to Dujon, 27. But not before the court fought with Diliberto over his 15 percent fee. “The court was angry because everybody else worked on the case worked for free,” said Diliberto, who halved his fee in order to settle the case. “I said everybody else who worked on this case didn’t do a thing because these men waited 10 years for now what is over $1 million.” Reps for the Office of Court Administration, Public Administrator’s Office and state Comptroller’s Office had no immediate comment. Additional reporting by Leonica Valentine 
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