DeKalb homeowners frustrated after county says they have to fix collapsed stormwater drain

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — It’s a cost Lynn and Lorenzo Callahan said they just can’t afford.

“Why should we have to pay for someone to repair this thing, when the whole community using it,” Lorenzo Callahan said.

They told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln that it would be a price tag of at least $20,000 to fix the collapsed stormwater drain.

The Callahans said last April they noticed a sinkhole after their truck went down in the hole.

Over the months, the Callahans said the erosion increased, but things came to a head after heavy rainfall from Hurricane Helene exposed the cause of the hole.

The couple said a stormwater drain is part of the system that collects water runoff for their neighborhood.

Because of that, they said they were stunned when the county told them because the line sits on private property it’s their responsibility to repair.

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Lincoln found on Thursday that the line was not installed by the county. The homeowners suspect it was the developer of their community.

DeKalb County sent Lincoln a statement, saying:

“After inspections on July 26 and Aug. 15, the homeowner was informed that preliminary inspection indicated that the drainage issue is not a county maintenance responsibility because it is on private property and not in the public right of way.

“Within 30 days, a final written assessment and determination of the ownership and maintenance responsibility will be provided to the homeowner at the conclusion of a review of the final recorded plat, floodplain map and departmental records.

“The county has an assistance program that helps homeowners offset cost associated with these kinds of repairs. Unfortunately, these homeowners don’t qualify because the county says this property sits in a flood plain.”

The Callahans have started a GoFundMe to help raise funds that will go towards repairs.

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