Atlanta couple blames city’s ‘negligence’ for flood damage, mold in new construction home
ATLANTA - A couple living in Atlanta’s Lakewood neighborhood says problems with flooding have created a dangerous and costly situation that now requires repairs to their family home. They claim Atlanta Watershed Management officials took years to address that problem. Now, the city says it’s a private property issue.
"Our house is essentially sinking to some degree. We’ve got cracks in the walls already," Nicole Webb told FOX 5.
For Nicole and her husband Jeremey, the purchase of their dream home on Saint Johns Avenue in December 2021 quickly turned into a nightmare scenario at the first sight of rain.
"Every single rain, our property would be flooded, in addition to our guest home," Jeremey said.
"It was just a mess," Nicole said.
They believe that the flooding was due to a lack of storm drains on their street, and the home’s backyard—unknown to them—being in a flood plain.
Email correspondence dating back to 2020 between the Department of Watershed Management and two previous owners of the home appears to show concerns went unaddressed until Webb says they followed up in June 2022.
"They actually had to put in five more drains because there was so much overflow from when it rained coming all onto our property," she explained.
The couple tells FOX 5 the flooding continued in their backyard while crews working on that project compromised the foundation of their home.
They say it also left mold growing in the guest home they used as an AirBnb property.
"Just to potentially repair this, we know, is north of $50,000-$70,000," Jeremey Webb stated. "When you lose the income, and now have to spend that kind of money, it just puts us in a really hard place."
In a statement to FOX 5, Atlanta Watershed Management claims that the structure was built in a depression that collects rainwater and is the cause of the drainage issues.
Jeremey and Nicole Webb said they thought they bought their dream home, but it turned into a nightmare the very first time it rained.
The Webbs say a negligence claim they filed with the city for financial assistance was denied.
"We’re doing everything we can to create a great space for our family, but then when you have mold issues and foundation issues, it starts to get very scary," Nicole Webb said.
That statement from Watershed Management officials continues, saying: "…the City’s infrastructure is not a contributing factor to this issue. When the City installed additional storm structures in the street and in front of Ms. Webb’s house, it totally isolated the home only to receive rainwater that falls on top of the property."
The Webbs tell FOX 5 they hope the city will reconsider.