Homeowners and even those looking to buy a house in the future might want to pay attention to this next story. An East Grand Forks man has put his house up for sale, after noticing a water problem in his yard that began, right after a new house popped up next door. He's reached out to the city... But they say there's little that can be done.
"They're waiting for something and I don't know what I just don't understand why they treat me like this, I've paid my taxes like everybody else." Says Steve Gerszewski of East Grand Forks. For more than five years Gerszewski has called this home. But after a new house was built next door, he began questioning his first choice for retired life.
After multiple complaints, and presenting documentation of the issue he has gained little ground with the city, "I feel like I am getting treated like a dog. I might as well leave the city."
The main problem is water runs from his neighbors home to his. He started documenting the issue after it started to add up. He's had a estimate of what it would cost to fix. It rang in at 5 thousand bucks. Money he doesn't have, or even wants to cough up. "I don't see why I have to pay for this when the real estate guy built his house. His floor in the garage is 17 1/2 inches higher than mine." Says Gerszewski.
If the neighbors house was built to city code and passed inspection, but then later down the road it was discovered Gerszewski has a water problem in his yard... You might think the city would take care of it. But the East Grand Forks building inspector, Brad Bail, says a building violation is different than a landscaping issue. "Not every problem can the city solve there's certain things... It's tough for them to be involved in when it comes to landscaping and those issues." Says Bail.
Bail, the new East Grand Forks building inspector, says he understands Steve's issue. While his neighbor's house passed the initial inspection, it could be the landscaping, that has created the problem. That's not in the city's realm of authority, "unfortunately it becomes you and your neighbor have something to work out..."
Meanwhile Steve is going to continue to document the situation. One many homeowners could likely struggle with. "They say it's my problem, I don't see where it's my problem. When I've lived here for five years and have had no problem with water." Says Greszerski.
It was right around the same time Mr. Greszerski was fighting the city of East Grand Forks that he had road construction in front of his home underway. He says the city left slabs of pavement sitting for over a month in his yard. Steve says the city hauled away everyone else's pay load, but he had to cough up 400 dollars to get it moved off of his lot. He wrote this complaint to the city but is still waiting to be reimbursed.
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