“Tradewinds: Hotels must sue to get BP money”

Tradewinds: Hotels must sue to get BP money

Posted: 30 Sep 2010 02:12 PM PDT

St. Pete Beach, Florida -- A prominent player in Tampa Bay and Florida's tourism industry had harsh words Thursday for the man in charge of BP's claims fund.

Keith Overton, Chief Operating Officer of the Tradewinds Resort and Chairman of Florida's Restaurant and Lodging Association, says the only chance to get money from BP is to sue.

"Legal action right now seems to be the only viable way to get the attention that we need and to get paid," Overton said.

When Kenneth Feinberg, appointed by President Obama to oversee the $20B BP claims fund last month, he said it would only take a week to process claims for businesses.

Five weeks later the Tradewinds still hasn't heard about its $2M claim, and neither have thousands of others.

"I think so far on the scorecard, he gets an F," Overton said of Feinberg.

Feinberg's agency, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, wouldn't address specific claims.

However, Feinberg said in a statement, "we have heard and we understand the criticisms, and we are responding. We'll be sending out more generous checks, more quickly."

Overton isn't ready to buy that.

"I've met with Mr. Feinberg a number of times and he talks a good game, but he has not delivered," he said.

Overton is now pushing any of the 10,000-plus members of the hotel and lodging association, who haven't heard from BP, to sue as well.

"Frankly we're at a point where the only solution left for us is to litigate," he explained.

The Tradewinds says the perception of oil in the area led to thousands of empty rooms.

Its original claim was denied by BP, but once Feinberg took over, he said thousands of denied claims would be revisited and could be paid.

Adam Freeman, 10 News

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