Deutsche Bank Sues NY State for Sept. 11 Damage

Reuters ^ | September 11, 2003 | Gail Appleson

[AntiGuv]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Deutsche Bank is seeking to hold New York State liable for more than $500 million due to property damage done to its building following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

The bank sued the state late on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, accusing it of negligence for failing to take steps to protect and clean the building after the attacks.

Among charges are that the state failed to seal the building leaving it exposed to hazardous materials and that it did not remove tens of thousands of gallons of water that had been pumped into the structure to put out fires.

The bank said its building today is a "black net enshrouded shell, with a fifteen story gash. Subjected to a cocktail of contaminants and mold never before confronted by environmental experts in a single building, the building is a total loss."

A spokesman for the New York State Attorney General could not immediately be reached for comment.

The plaintiffs in the litigation are Taunus Corp., which is a holding company of Deutsche Bank, and a long list of subsidiaries and affiliates.

The suit focuses on a period beginning the day of the attacks and running through December 2001. During that time, the state took control of the World Trade Center area known as the "Frozen Zone" that included Deutsche Bank's building.

The bank said its employees and representatives were prohibited from entering the building and taking steps to protect bank property during this period.

It said that, although it hired workers to remove water and oil from the basement, they were ejected from the zone, under threat of arrest. The bank also said it was prohibited from having architects, engineers and other consultants examine its building.

It said the state promised authorities would clean up hazardous material in the bank's basement and take care of other problems.

"To the extent that such efforts were undertaken, they were negligently performed," Deutsche Bank said.

The bank also accused the state of improperly supervising its employees and contractors in the Frozen Zone, allowing the theft of hundreds, if not thousands, of computers from its building.

Late last month, a federal judge dismissed Deutsche Bank litigation against New York City over Sept. 11 related damage.

In that ruling, the judge completely dismissed two counts charging the city with negligence relating to the placement of diesel tanks at 7 World Trade Center, which exploded in the attacks. But he ruled the bank could refile two other charges relating to the city's measures after the attacks.

[Coop]

You know what? Just bring home our troops and cut off all diplomatic contact with Germany. </rant>

[concerned about politics]

Shouldn't they be sueing those who attacked NY? Why sue those who worked to save it?

I can't believe how so many people are now seeing 9/11 as a winning lottery ticket It's pathetic.

[1rudeboy]

Your absolutely correct. And we should repeal the right to due process and private property. /sarc

[concerned about politics]

Your absolutely correct. And we should repeal the right to due process and private property. /sarc

Actually, we should pull our troops out of Germany. They're either with us, or against us. They chose to work against us. Bring our people home.

[1rudeboy]

Deutsche Bank is against us? I must've missed that one.

[doc30]

Sounds like the bank has a legitimate issue with the city. Let the courts decide if the city must pay damages. Personally, I'd be pissed if I couldn't get anyone to assess damage to my property, the government does a half @ssed clean up and the government workers wind up looting the place. Let the bank show their evidence to a jury and have them decide.

[DoughtyOne]

I believe the bank has some legitimate beefs here. Getting structural engineers and clean-up crews into the building wasn't that outlandish a request. If the local, regional or state authorities didn't want the bank to be processed and promised to do it themselves later on, then they should take responsibility for the promises they made and follow through.

[concerned about politics]

Deutsche Bank is against us? I must've missed that one.

I have no idea, but I support pulling our troops out of Gemany anyway. We should bring them home, or put them somewhere more important. There's no reason to keep them there anymore.

[Timesink]

Actually, we should pull our troops out of Germany. They're either with us, or against us. They chose to work against us. Bring our people home.

This appears to be already well underway at the Pentagon. Last I heard, they're only going to keep Ramstein, and every single other base is going to get moved to ALLIED countries. It'll take a few years of course, but the financial hit to those areas around the US bases will be catastrophic. (Dare I say Dresden-like? Ha ha ha ha!)

[Calpernia]

Woa, how can Deutsche (or anyone) sue NY when it was legally proven? Established? Whatever term, that the Iraq/Al Qaeda Regimes were responsible?

Judge Harold Baer ruled Wednesday (7 May) that the survivors of two people who were killed in the World Trade Center terrorist attack had presented enough evidence, "albeit barely," to be awarded $104 million in damages against the state of Iraq, Osama bin Laden, and his terrorist network.

He reviewed the testimony of [former CIA Director James] Woolsey and terrorism expert Dr. Laurie Mylroie on alleged links between the Iraqi regime and al-Qaida, including whether lead hijacker Mohammed Atta met with a high-ranking member of Iraqi intelligence in Prague before Sept. 11, and whether Saddam Hussein ran a hijacking training camp in Salman Pak, just outside of Baghdad.
"In particular, Mylroie testified about Iraq's covert involvement in the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and about the proximity of the dates of bin Laden's attack on the U.S. embassies and Hussein's ouster of weapons inspectors."
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1051121852966

So doesn't this establish a legal precedence?

[Calpernia]

Previous post on this story:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/965212/posts

[Calpernia]

Ping here instead.

[Calpernia]

>>>the government does a half @ssed clean up and the government workers wind up looting the place.

As one of the MANY families and persons that did extensive volunteer work in cleaning up in NYC, I take offense to that idiotic statement you made!

Does that mean I and all other volunteers should submit a bill for our services?

[Publius6961]

The bank sued the state late on Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, accusing it of negligence for failing to take steps to protect and clean the building after the attacks.

WTF?

"F" stand for frbergarb. What did you think it meant?

[cake_crumb]

I'm really amazed. The city had OTHER problems than making buildings pretty: like searching for survivors and pulling them out of the rubble. Ground Zero burned for MONTHS after 9/11/01. THAT takes precendence.

It's weird. I'm reading on another thread about the battle of Vienna, September 11, 1683. The German army was part of the force that came to Vienna's aid and beat the Turks.

Today, they're suing a city attacked by the Islamic Caliphate (Khalifah) for not pumping out the water they used to fight the fires.

How far EUrope has fallen.

[Calpernia]

Maybe Deutsche has a legitmate claim; but, is it with the City?

See my post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/980615/posts?page=11#11

[salmon76]

Deutsche Bank Sues NY State for Sept. 11 Damage

NY Jews countersue Germany for Holocaust. Each Jew receives a brand new Mercedes.

[1rudeboy]

You do realize that has already happened?

[DoughtyOne]

I believe the agency that the bank had to deal with, should be the agency responsible. City, County, State, Feds, whoever that might be.