Something here stinks

[Bulleye]

Hi,
My name is Mike and I'm a fishaholic.
I've been enjoying this website for years, and although, I don't post or comment much, I have respect for this great service. I have learned more here than any book or magazine could ever hope to acomplish. But I have a problem.
Just called my brother in La Grande, hadn't talked to him in a couple of weeks. He tells me that he has had a sewage spill in his house. Somehow the sewer became blocked in the main city line, and because he was low man in line, he got everyones sewage from above him. Sewage spilled out of the downstairs shower and filled parts of the lower level with, hopefully I can say this, crap. Up to three inches.
City of La Grande admits fault. Tells my brother to call this lawer (I'm holding off on names) and they would handle everything.
Well, after talking to my brother about the clean up, repair and relivability of his home. It's apperent that the city is trying to shortcut the job and pressure my brother into sighning off on the whole thing. He' been keeping a good detailed log of all the events since the spill with photos.
Basicalliy the city is using a local cleaning company to go in and remove the contamination. My brother has pics of bedding and matteresses stored on contaminated floors while the crew used pans of water to clean up the waste. Yes pans. No pressure wash. No contractor to asses the real extent of damage. No compensatation, as of yet, for his lodging at the motel.
Myself, my four brothers and sister grew up in this house. It's still the house I call home, even though I haven't lived there for 20 years.
Something don't seem right here. I think it stinks. But I don't know what to do, who to call.
I do know that there are some really smart people that use this site that may be able to give me some advice. Which is why this is the first place, the only place, I thought to turn to for help.
Pm me if you like.
Thanks in advance for any help, and for, even so much as, hearing my sad story.
Ifish rocks,
Mike Turley

[Chrome Bumper]

Sign nothing. Don't let them screw you, they wrecked your house, and aren't even giving you a place to live while they repair the damage they did. I hope they are feeding you, you kitchen is not safe to use.

There are people here who know how to clean this kind of stuff up. Good cal asking for help. Not doing it right is negligent on their part. They are leaving themselves wide open for nasty legal actions.

Call their lawyer?! Call your own lawyer, best investment you can make if you get a good one. Do not talk to their lawyer.

They better treat you like royalty so you don't hurt them bad for wrecking your home.

You might want to call the local paper, sounds like a news article to me.

[Jaws]

Originally Posted by Chrome Bumper

Sign nothing. Don't let them screw you, they wrecked your house, and aren't even giving you a place to live while they repair the damage they did. I hope they are feeding you, you kitchen is not safe to use.

There are people here who know how to clean this kind of stuff up. Good cal asking for help. Not doing it right is negligent on their part. They are leaving themselves wide open for nasty legal actions.

Call their lawyer?! Call your own lawyer, best investment you can make if you get a good one. Do not talk to their lawyer.

They better treat you like royalty so you don't hurt them bad for wrecking your home.

You might want to call the local paper, sounds like a news article to me.

Spot on!

1. Call a good lawyer!

2. Get the news paper/media involved!

3. Don't accept anything but the best job!

[fishkisser]

Originally Posted by Chrome Bumper

Sign nothing. Don't let them screw you, they wrecked your house, and aren't even giving you a place to live while they repair the damage they did. I hope they are feeding you, you kitchen is not safe to use.

There are people here who know how to clean this kind of stuff up. Good cal asking for help. Not doing it right is negligent on their part. They are leaving themselves wide open for nasty legal actions.

Call their lawyer?! Call your own lawyer, best investment you can make if you get a good one. Do not talk to their lawyer.

They better treat you like royalty so you don't hurt them bad for wrecking your home.

You might want to call the local paper, sounds like a news article to me.

Stay cool but remember the sqeaky wheel gets the grease...

[nehalemguy]

Do not deal directly with the lawyer for the city! He represents and is working for the city, not your brother! He will get the best deal he can for his employer! Get your own lawyer. Have all future communications with the city/lawyer done through him.


E

[matttheduck]

If Ray Baum is still practicing law in La Grande, he's a quality guy. Have your brother call him.

[1pump]

It sounds too familiar. Every so often it seems like we hear a story like this. City sewer redecorates a house, city admits fault, but does a half-arsed cleanup, then tries to strong-arm the homeowner. When are they gonna learn?

I seem to recall a similar situation in Hood River a few years back, only the lucky resident was downhill from the hospital. As an added bonus, he got medical waste along with his sewage. I guess he had a four foot tall geyser blasting out of his toilet.
Sounds like something out of a horror movie.

[retiredgal]

Bottom line?

Fight back and get indignant as all get out. :frownon't do anything more without an attorney representing you ASAP!

Good luck!

[baltz526]

get them to install a sewer backflow devise

[flyfisherwoman923]

I would worry about the health risks of raw sewage and my health.....lots nasty bugs transferred in feces....so I hope that they are out of the house during clean up and that the sheetrock and carpet and wood are replaced with un-infested products......lawer and newspaper are great ideas.....hard for an insurance company to hide from the media....good luck to your brother and the house....oh....burn the matress-soon!!!!!

[baltz526]

lots of info available on sewer backflow devises. just put (sewer backflow valve) in your favorite search engine.

[Geoff Pace]

Also try wrighting to your congresmen thats what he gets paid for suppossidly. And When they say they are done I would get a house inspecter that you pick not them & have him or her go threw it completely & charge the city for it.
lots of luck,Geoff Pace

[duckboy]

We had that happen to us in Medford back in December 1978 (we refer to it now as our "brown christmas"

We had to threaten to sue the heck out of the city and they reluctantly paid all of the repair costs and cleanup fees, because it was the City's Equipment (a backflow valve) that was messed up and caused the disaster.



What a mess.

[fishkisser]

Originally Posted by 1pump

It sounds too familiar. Every so often it seems like we hear a story like this. City sewer redecorates a house, city admits fault, but does a half-arsed cleanup, then tries to strong-arm the homeowner. When are they gonna learn?

I seem to recall a similar situation in Hood River a few years back, only the lucky resident was downhill from the hospital. As an added bonus, he got medical waste along with his sewage. I guess he had a four foot tall geyser blasting out of his toilet.
Sounds like something out of a horror movie.

FOUR FOOT !!!!! Oh man I'm gonna have nightmares about that..

[1pump]

Well, it could've been worse. He could have been sitting on it when it happened!

Oh, man. I'm at work right now, on graveyard. I better go find something to do, obviously.

[Jennie@ifish]

Baltz526 left a really good message for you, but I had to delete it, as the pictures were directly linked. I felt badly, cuz he did alot of research, but with ifish traffic, it could have hurt their website if I left it up. (It was lots of pics which would have hit their server once for every view per picture).

Anyhow, I have a copy, and I'll send it to you, with compliments of your friend, Baltz526.

Jen

[Gundog]

My first thought on this is your home owners insurance should cover everything then let them deal with the city to get their money back. That is why you pay for insurance I could be wrong though but I would make a call to your insurance co and find out.
Mike

[WaterDog]

Actually, the way it really gets handled, is through the City's insurance. As been suggested, get in touch with your insurance folks and they will deal with the City's insurance folks. Probably why the City wants you to contact the City attorney.