Submit a Claim

On this page:

Before making a claim
Road incidents
Property damage
Bodily or personal injury
Submit a claim
Compensation
Appeal process

Damage to property or injury can be upsetting. If you believe the Town may be responsible for the damage, you must follow the process below for the Town to consider your claim.

Before making a claim

In the event of an incident or accident involving Town property, let your insurance company know about the damage as soon as it happens. Costs may be covered by your insurer. Vehicle owners are responsible for making sure your vehicle is safe for driving. This may require having it repaired.

Your insurer will take necessary steps to:

Confirm if you are covered for this type of loss
Determine which party they believe is legally responsible for damages
Seek compensation from the Town if they are legally responsible for damages

Note: Your coverage may be more than what you can legally recover from the Town.

Road incidents

If your vehicle is damaged due to a road issue (example: potholes) or in a collision with a Town vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation.

Minimum Maintenance Standards

The Town is required to meet the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways (MMS). The MMS are standards from the Province of Ontario for road maintenance. They can be different depending on speed limit and traffic volume on a roadway.

Pothole reporting and repairs

If you see a pothole, contact the Roads department at 705-789-1751, option 5, or submit a road question or concern.

The Town finds potholes through regular patrols. Also through reports made by the public to the Town.

Potholes are repaired faster on higher speed roads and those with higher traffic volume
Potholes are repaired within 7 days of it being reported, on the Town's busiest roads
Potholes may be repaired between 14 and 30 days of it being reported, on smaller roads

The Town follows the MMS. The Town will not be held responsible for damages if the MMS have been met.

The District of Muskoka owns and maintains many roads in the Town's limits.

If you have a concern or have damage from a pothole on a District road:

Confirm if it is a District road. Check the list of District roads
Report it to Muskoka Public Works at 705-645-6764; or email publicworks@muskoka.on.ca.

Property damage

Property loss includes:

Damage from fallen trees
Flooding
Sewer back up

District responsibility

The District of Muskoka is responsible for water and wastewater services. If you have damage from these systems, report it to District Public Works at 705-645-6764 or email publicworks@muskoka.on.ca.

Bodily or personal injury

Injury at Town-owned facilities could include:

Buildings
Roads
Sidewalks

Injury could happen from:

Slips
Trips
Falls

If you have been injured while at a Town facility, please report the injury to staff within 10 days of the incident.

Anyone wishing to make a claim against the Town must do so in writing within 10 days of the accident/incident in accordance with Subsection 44(10) of the Municipal Act, 2001. The claim must include the following information:

Name, mailing address, telephone number of the person making the claim
Date, time, and exact location (address or closest intersection) of the incident
Full description of what happened including: photographs, police report (if available), diagrams, etc.
Name(s) of any other parties involved, including Town staff or contractor
List name(s) and contact information of any witnesses

For claims involving potholes, the Town of Huntsville is not considered responsible for damages unless it fails to inspect and maintain roads according to standards set out in the Municipal Act, 2001, Ontario Regulation 239/02 (Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways).

You can submit a claim to the Asset and Risk Management Coordinator:

By completing the Claims Report form; or
By mail to 37 Main Street East, Huntsville, ON P1H 1A1

Compensation

The Town will provide compensation only if it is legally responsible for damages.

Appeal process

The Town’s assessment of your claim is final. A claim will only be reconsidered if you can provide additional relevant evidence to support your claim which was not originally considered.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision and wish to pursue a further dispute of the claim denial you may wish to consult your own lawyer regarding your options.