A HOMEOWNER is furious with city authorities after claiming underground work ruined her driveway.
Arlene Chriswell, of Springfield, Missouri, has now demanded a complete replacement of her garage after City Utilities ignored her reservations about working on a gas line.
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“I begged them not to do it and they chose to do it anyway,” said the driver KY3.
As part of a months-long gas main renovation project, City Utilities workers dug up the end of their driveway.
This was also done on the neighboring property, but there is a key difference between the two now that part of the project is complete.
‘WITH NO REASON’
Workers repaired the hole they made with asphalt and then covered it with concrete to match the rest of the sidewalk.
read more about garage drama
Although Chriswell’s neighbors agreed to this final phase, she did not and is now left with a section of black asphalt at the end of the concrete driveway.
“There is no reason why this has to be done,” she said.
“I don’t think it will be the same color in my lifetime. I would like it to match.”
To make matters worse, Chriswell noted that with other properties on his street, crews were drilling underground to carry out the work.
Neighbors who were also impacted by the project still maintain their original sidewalks.
This is because a directional hole was used to drill underground without the need for what Chriswell said was a “four-foot” trench.
“Who did the planning? How does one project take priority over another?” she asked.
“What’s another week? Or two more weeks on a project that lasted three months?”
After contacting City Utilities and speaking with leaders for months about the issue leading to no resolution, Chriswell filed a lawsuit requesting the replacement of his entire garage.
This was an action the owner says she didn’t want to take, but felt she had no choice.
“I would be happy if they would throw out the sidewalk at this point. I really didn’t want to make a complaint,” she said.
“I just wanted them to fix my driveway. I wanted this to be resolved with a handshake and move on.”
HEADS
However, in an email to the News outlet, City Utilities responded to Chriswell’s questions about why the borehole was not used on his property, while also rejecting his request for a new driveway.
The hole “was needed at another location during the remainder of this project,” City Utilities said.
I just wish they would fix my driveway.
Arelene Chriswell
“The use of the hole is not based on the request, but rather on availability and greatest need.”
When addressing your request for replacement of the damage to your property, the company argues that no work is necessary on your part.
“We do not believe it would be appropriate or fair for our other homeowner customers to pay for repairs to something we did not damage,” the email stated.
“If part of a vehicle is damaged, such as a bumper or taillight, the undamaged bumper or taillight will not be replaced to match the new parts.”
However, it appears the disagreement will continue, as Chriswell said all exterior aftermarket parts on a vehicle would match the rest of the car.
City Utilities sent an employee to visit Chriswell on May 13 to see how they could find a solution for both parties.
US Sun has reached out for comment.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
