‘Like Niagara Falls’: Homeowners say pipe burst, upset city denied claim

CHARLOTTE — Two local homeowners are upset after a water line broke in Ballantyne recently and they ended up with damage and big bills because the city wouldn’t cover the repairs.

David Protze says the water pipe broke, the ground caved in, and water was flowing fast through his yard and house. “I found a big flood in the basement,” he said.

His neighbor Manish Damani says it flowed into his yard as well. “Water was literally coming from here, just like Niagara Falls,” he said.

Damani says it left a trench and ruined the pool he was building. He says he asked the builder how much repairs would cost. “He said, ‘$20,000,’” Damani said. “I already had to do it.”

Protze says his tab “would be around [$]10,000.”

The pipe is under Protze’s yard, but he and Damani expected the city of Charlotte to cover the damage because Protze says it’s in the city’s right-of-way and serves more houses than just his.

“Just do the right thing,” Damani said. “Right thing is take care of the liability of the damages that your system has caused.”

But the city denied the claim and didn’t say why.

“Very frustrated. I think it’s totally unacceptable,” Protze said.

“Lucky for us, at least we have the financial resources to pay for this,” Damani said.

Many homeowners do not, another issue Damani wants to bring to the surface.

The city told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke it was looking into the situation so it can respond, but did not in time for this report.

Advice from Action 9:

- Homeowners insurance doesn’t usually cover this kind of problem. Protze and Damani say theirs did not.

- Some utilities offer protection plans that do. The city offers the Charlotte Water Cares Program and says on its website, “Most customers do not know they are responsible for the water and sewer lines running to their homes. If these lines break, you could face large, unexpected home repair bills and waste time looking for a qualified plumber when you least expect it.”

- If all else fails, you may want to talk to a lawyer.

VIDEO: Homeowner says contractor barely did any work, was in jail part of the time

‘Very depressing’: Homeowner says contractor barely did any work, was in jail part of the time

©2024 Cox Media Group