Nationwide Recovery Programs
Recapture Services for the New York State Housing Trust Fund Corporation
Since December 2016, DOCB has acted as outside counsel assisting the State of New York’s Housing Trust Fund Corporation (“HTFC”) through the Office of Resilient Homes and Communities (“RHC”), formerly the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. The goal of the program is to recapture HUD funding incorrectly paid out by RHC to ineligible applicants pursuant to grant agreements that set forth the requirements for use of the HUD funds. Ineligible applicants include New York small businesses and single-family homeowners who experienced damage from Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee, and Hurricane Sandy.
Through 2024, DOCB has handled over 650 cases for RHC; it has successfully resolved nearly 500 cases and won several summary judgment motions on the merits and defeating statute of limitations defenses. DOCB was recently awarded a contract to provide legal services to the New York State Housing Finance Agency, State of New York Mortgage Agency, State of New York Municipal Bond Bank Agency, Tobacco Settlement Financing, Housing Trust Fund Corporation, and New York State Affordable Housing Corporation.
National Counsel for the Office of Federal Employee Life Insurance Administration (“FEGLI”) Overpayment Recovery Program
DOCB has acted as National Counsel for FEGLI’s Overpayment Recovery Program for over 25 years. As coordinating counsel, our firm is responsible for supervising and handling the nationwide recovery of institutional overpayment matters for FEGLI and the administrator of the FEGLI Program, MetLife.
Over the past 25 years, DOCB has handled between 50 to 100 matters per year, negotiating settlements and engaging in litigation to obtain judgments against persons who were overpaid or mistakenly paid benefits, DOCB personally litigates and handles all matters venued in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania, and engages law firms to act as local counsel in those jurisdictions where we do not have an office.