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Residents Fighting City to Pay For Flood Repairs
Posted: Feb 6, 2012 6:08 PM by Lindsay Curtis - lcurtis@kristv.com
Updated: Feb 6, 2012 6:46 PM
CORPUS CHRISTI - Residents in one neighborhood say the city should pay for a water main that burst over the weekend flooding their yard and damaging their home but the city says no. We went back to the house today to get a look at the damage as things start to dry up.
For homeowners Peter Melve and Charles Chanley, the nightmare of having their backyard and home flooded is only just beginning. "Our house was engulfed in water all the way around. It was almost as if we were having a natural flood," said Chanley as he showed our cameras video of the flood. The water came from a city water main that split open in the backyard. City workers repaired the pipe but left a mess. Crews said they'd be back to fill in the hole but they didn't say when
The remaining cleanup and repairs will be costly. Cleaning the mud from the home and backyard will cost thousands. The flood also damaged the pool pump, the deck, furniture and carpeting inside the home and that's just the beginning. The residents say their insurance won't cover the costs because it's the city's pipe. The city told the homeowners they would send their insurance adjustor to survey the damage on Monday. Today the city insurance adjuster called the homeowners and said he wouldn't be coming after all because there's nothing he could do since the city is not liable for the damage.
The water department says they're not at fault because, according to state law, water main breaks are considered a natural occurrence. That's because the breaks are often caused by the ground shifting after a rain storm. Melve and Chanley say if the city doesn't take responsibility soon they will take legal action.
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