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Community Corner

Patch Update: Fallout from February Flooding

Revisit a charming home on Azalea Drive still recovering from winter flood damage.

Driving along Azalea Drive in , one might note the tall, blooming flowers and manicured topiary welcoming visitors to a charming ranch house on the bend. However, take a step inside 5082 Azalea, and you’ll see remnants of a winter flood that destroyed the roof and damaged nearly every room in the house.

On Feb. 23, workers from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and its subcontractor, M. O’Herron Co., repaired gas lines in a Whitehall neighborhood near . A worker from M. O’Herron inadvertently struck a Pennsylvania American Water line, causing a geyser of water to spray and both onto and into the Azalea home occupied by Jesse Burk, Tricia Gilbert and their son.

The family had moved from Oklahoma in 2009 and set about purchasing its first house. The family spent months making the brick rancher a home, constructing a deck, updating the kitchen and making other cosmetic improvements.

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Burk and Gilbert could not have anticipated that, six months later, they would be forced to rethink their remodel.

At the time of the accident, Burk was in the basement, which consisted of a carpeted family room and tiled laundry. He watched helplessly as water pumped from the site into the living-room window for over an hour, dragging with it mud and mulch from the rain-soaked yard. When the water finally stopped flowing, the basement was flooded with 4 to 5 inches of standing water, later found to be contaminated with sewage.

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Their son’s basement bedroom was destroyed, along with much of the family’s wardrobe. However, most of the clothing, including the son’s prized Sidney Crosby Penguins jersey, was salvaged by a skilled dry cleaner.

A kind neighbor offered to take in the family’s pets, a playful Doberman pinscher named Chili and a Chinese water dragon named Drago. Chili suffered no ill effects from the flooding. However, Drago, who requires a tropical temperature between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, became gravely ill when the utilities were shut off and temperatures inside the home rapidly dipped. Both pets returned home the following day in good health.

The apologetic workers who had caused the accident assured Burk and Gilbert at that time that Columbia Gas would provide temporary lodging for the family at a hotel.

“We were told by the subcontractor that ‘you’ll get a whole new house out of this,’” Gilbert explained. “But we didn’t ask for that.”

Nor did they receive it. There would be no hotel stay or any such offer of hospitality from Columbia Gas. Later in the evening of Feb. 23, Burk was informed that he would have to contact Liberty Mutual, which held his homeowners’ insurance. So, the new homeowner contacted his agent, confident that the matter would be handled expeditiously.

Many weeks and phone calls later, the insurance company issued one small check on the claim but has denied any further responsibility.

So, just who is responsible for restoring the Azalea Drive home to its previous condition? That depends on who you ask.

Once the water was removed, the basement had to be completely gutted. EIB Systems, Inc., doing business as Paul Davis Restoration, was commissioned by Liberty Mutual to remove the standing water and mud, along with the carpeting, tile and attic insulation. However, everything was still saturated when the company pronounced its job finished. The result was the appearance of dangerous mold, which began to cover still-muddy walls in the damp basement.

Frustrated and desperate, Burk and Gilbert commissioned their own restoration company, Metro Restoration Cleaning Service, of Bethel Park.

“Metro did a great job for us,” Gilbert said. “They completed the cleanup quickly.”

Still, the house is far from restored.

The kitchen ceiling sustained significant water damage, with paint peeling away in large sheets. The roof and gutters were completely destroyed and had to be replaced. Walls in both the living room and home office boast damage, as well.

With Columbia Gas, M. O’Herron, Liberty Mutual and Paul Davis Restoration denying responsibility for the remaining repairs, Burk and Gilbert were forced to take the matter to court.

Rachel Ford, media contact for Columbia Gas, stated, “Unfortunately, I am unable to comment on this issue due to the pending litigation.”

John Boni, agent for Liberty Mutual, also declined to comment.

Representatives for M. O’Herron and Paul Davis Restoration did not return several phone calls requesting a comment on the matter.

Attorney Howard F. Murphy of West Mifflin Borough is representing Burk and Gilbert in their lawsuit and laments the family’s situation.

“These are good, responsible people who did everything right,” Murphy stated. “They moved from Oklahoma for a better job opportunity for Jesse. They bought a house. They purchased homeowners’ insurance. They even commissioned their own expert report (regarding the mold).

“The last thing in the world they wanted was to file a lawsuit.”

But file they did. And as the various companies, now defendants, continue to point fingers at the other players and even place blame on the Whitehall family, Burk says, “We just want the damage to be fixed. That’s what we were promised.”

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