Pigtown residents whose basements were flooded are demanding answers as to the cause and who’s responsible.After an investigation, city officials confirmed to 11 News Investigates that the water came from a vacant house.Kim Manuel, a Pigtown resident for 28 years whose home is more than 100 years old, told 11 News Investigates that she’s concerned that water from the vacant house damaged the basement walls, and she’s extremely worried about mold.”My whole foot went into the water. I was like, ‘What the? What is this coming from?'” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.Video recorded on Aug. 25 and shared with 11 News Investigates showed how Manuel and her neighbors worked to remove about 2 feet of water from her basement. Other neighbors also had water flowing into their basements, including Marlina Robinson, who said she was shocked.”Heck yeah, because, like, who feels like that when you get home? And, I thought, like, it wasn’t a small amount of water, and it was coming from the front,” Robinson told 11 News Investigates. “I was pretty fast, got a submersible, etc., pumped out mine. I pumped out Miss Kim.”Fixing the damage has proven costly. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works told 11 News Investigates that it investigated and confirmed “the source was a leak on the private water service line at the adjacent vacant property.”That led to a strange response from the owner of the vacant house, answering residents who asked what led to the flooding.”(The owner said): ‘The squatters took my pipes and air conditioner,'” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.11 News Investigates and Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, D-District 10, have been trying to determine exactly what happened.”We’ve heard quite a few details that we’ve been unable to confirm with the owner and with the city, as well, that any pipes have been stolen,” Porter told 11 News Investigates.Manuel recalled what else the owner said.”He had a letter that said he was not responsible for the water because squatters did it,” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.DPW officials and Porter told 11 News Investigates that they don’t know anything about a letter.In a statement, DPW said it “has not issued any letters to the property owner or landlord informing them that they are not responsible for damage to the nearby properties. We do not determine liability.””I have to say this, for a person to own a house, whether you live in it or you don’t, you need to check your property. You need to check on the property,” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.Over the past couple of days, 11 News Investigates has tried to reach the owner of the vacant house, but has not received a response as of Thursday night. Neighbors said the owner did show up after the flooding and helped with some of the cleanup.The city said it is trying to do what it can to resolve this and get accountability.
Pigtown residents whose basements were flooded are demanding answers as to the cause and who’s responsible.
After an investigation, city officials confirmed to 11 News Investigates that the water came from a vacant house.
Kim Manuel, a Pigtown resident for 28 years whose home is more than 100 years old, told 11 News Investigates that she’s concerned that water from the vacant house damaged the basement walls, and she’s extremely worried about mold.
“My whole foot went into the water. I was like, ‘What the? What is this coming from?'” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.
Video recorded on Aug. 25 and shared with 11 News Investigates showed how Manuel and her neighbors worked to remove about 2 feet of water from her basement. Other neighbors also had water flowing into their basements, including Marlina Robinson, who said she was shocked.
“Heck yeah, because, like, who feels like that when you get home? And, I thought, like, it wasn’t a small amount of water, and it was coming from the front,” Robinson told 11 News Investigates. “I was pretty fast, got a submersible, etc., pumped out mine. I pumped out Miss Kim.”
Fixing the damage has proven costly. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works told 11 News Investigates that it investigated and confirmed “the source was a leak on the private water service line at the adjacent vacant property.”
That led to a strange response from the owner of the vacant house, answering residents who asked what led to the flooding.
“(The owner said): ‘The squatters took my pipes and air conditioner,'” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.
11 News Investigates and Baltimore City Councilwoman Phylicia Porter, D-District 10, have been trying to determine exactly what happened.
“We’ve heard quite a few details that we’ve been unable to confirm with the owner and with the city, as well, that any pipes have been stolen,” Porter told 11 News Investigates.
Manuel recalled what else the owner said.
“He had a letter that said he was not responsible for the water because squatters did it,” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.
DPW officials and Porter told 11 News Investigates that they don’t know anything about a letter.
In a statement, DPW said it “has not issued any letters to the property owner or landlord informing them that they are not responsible for damage to the nearby properties. We do not determine liability.”
“I have to say this, for a person to own a house, whether you live in it or you don’t, you need to check your property. You need to check on the property,” Manuel told 11 News Investigates.
Over the past couple of days, 11 News Investigates has tried to reach the owner of the vacant house, but has not received a response as of Thursday night. Neighbors said the owner did show up after the flooding and helped with some of the cleanup.
The city said it is trying to do what it can to resolve this and get accountability.