Water woes dampen two homes

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Water woes dampen two homes

thepaper24-7.com

By ROB LEE

Crawfordsville, IN

http://www.thepaper24-7.com/main.asp?

SectionID=23 & SubSectionID=22 & ArticleID=7944 & TM=13351.36

The cause of water problems for two New Market families may not even

be related. But both are searching for ways to end what have become

nightmares.

Last fall, a water leak in the town's line sent water into several

yards and even a few homes.

One of those homes belongs to Troy and Kristie . The nightmares

are continuing, Kristie said, no thanks to town officials. Steps

to correct damage done by the town's water supply to the home on

First Street began, then stopped.

" Merlin and Mr. (Carl) Keller, board members, came to my house

with a remediation company they found from Lafayette on Oct. 4th, "

Kristie said. " The two members voted in my front yard to fix the

problem after (the remediation comany) inspected our crawl space to

remediate mold and fungus growth that was caused by an ongoing leak.

Merlin is no relation.

Kristie added the city's main water line runs approximately

eight feet in front of their house.

" The city involved the insurance company and the insurance adjuster

came and we have not settled on any damages, " she said. " They

canceled the remediation process and were only addressing the

replacement of our damaged carpet, not any mold removal. "

Kristie said that frustration and more importantly sickness has

set in.

" We have been disappointed with the way things have been handled, "

said. " We requested a copy of their 'mold expert' report, but

were denied.

" Me, who suffers from allergies and my two children have been very

sick due to the mold and moisture in our home, " Kristie

said. " Several doctor visits, two hospital visits and medications

are adding up. "

The family is now trying to cover its own bases.

" We are getting our own estimates and are talking to a lawyer for

advice, " she said. " We have tried to find a temporary living space,

but have been denied or unable to find one. "

" We've turned it over to the insurance company, " town board member

Larry Gentry said. " I'd rather not talk about any more of it. "

On the other side of town, still less than a mile away, there is a

water problem not related to the leak in the fall. That history goes

back much further.

Dave Alspaugh bought his home on North Third Street, three houses

south of the New Market Elementary parking lot, in 1996. Water has

been a high predicament ever since.

" Nothing was said about the water levels in the basement ever

getting so high, " Alspaugh said. " The sump pump tried to keep up.

The water levels during the rainy season were so high that the water

reached the bottom of my floor and it has buckled some of my hard

wood flooring. "

Alspaugh knew right away something needed to be done.

" My first year here I called the town hall and asked if anyone could

help me with this problem. If not, could I be led in the right

direction? No return phone call. For the next couple of years I

called. No response. "

About three or four years ago, Alspaugh researched the problem

himself and found the water coming up through the drain in the

floor. Alspaugh said it's the drain that should take water into the

city system.

" It was shooting a geyser from the floor about two and a half to

three feet high, " Alspaugh said. " So, the next big rain we had I

watched the basement. The funny thing was it was pretty dry down

there. I went back to the front of the house and looked at the drain

at the front left of my house. Water was standing and about to go

into the road. Then the basement drain started to bubble. You could

hear it gurgling and then here came the water. "

He tried to take action again and eventually had to go to the

Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

" After getting nowhere with the town, I called IDEM, " Alspaugh

said. " They came to my house with a town board member. They both

were in awe. "

The homeowner thought he was getting some help.

" We were told by a town board member that they would put a check

valve in at no expense to us. It was also said by the board member

that the town was not admitting any wrongdoing. "

However, after going through nine sump pumps and what he calls " run

around " from the town, Alspaugh has gone back to the state.

" I'm not sure where I go from here, but I sure hope it's good, "

Alspaugh said. " We do have mold and mildew and it can't be good. "

Alspaugh said his wife Heidi and 11-month old son Shelby have

encountered some health problems, including visits to the hospital

and a specialist. The evidence does not directly point to the mold

and mildew, Alspaugh said.

Alspaugh said he believes the problem is the fault of the town of

New Market. Town officials said no and the leak in the fall

definitely did not have an affect.

" That didn't cause those people's problems, " Gentry said.

Alspaugh would like to know if anyone else is experiencing the same

thing.

" You know, all I wanted was to buy a house and have my own castle, "

he said. " I don't think this is our problem since the storm water

back feeds into my home. I would like the people of New Market that

are having similar problems to possibly have a meeting and view our

options. "