Welcome to: Compensation Lottery

When the odds are against you, Don't leave your claim to chance

On the morning of the 8th of August, Adam Locke got woken up by water on his face. To his shock and horror, when he was fully awake he realised that it was not water that had filled his bedroom to a height of 4 feet, it was raw sewage.

Residents of the luxury property development called Ramblin' Hills located in Windber experienced a nightmare that day when the storm water from an early morning downpour combined with raw sewage and filled their street and their houses destroying heaters, washers, dryers, appliances, furniture and personal possessions.

The residents allege that the problem was caused by improper excavation and the illegal connection of an 8-inch pipe to the town's sewage system that uses 12-inch pipes. They blame the property developer, Ramblin' Hills LLC and the contractor who installed the pipes, L and M Excavating Inc. Co. The twenty residents have filed a lawsuit against the developer and contractor in the Somerset County court.

There was some hope that the case was going to be sorted out without a trip to court. One of the partners in Ramblin' Hills, David Petrunak, assured residents that both they and the contractor had insurance and that they would pay out on the residents' claims. They may very well have had insurance but no one can seem to locate the insurance company's offices or get them on the telephone. After much frustration the residents decided that they had no option but to head to court. "We didn't get a new furnace until after the first snow," one of the plaintiffs, Pam Gyurik was quoted as saying to reporters.

The bulk of the damage occurred in the houses located along the 2800 and 2900 blocks of Jackson Avenue in the township. The plaintiffs also have included a 29-page document that includes claims for compensation for physical, emotional, and psychological pain and suffering. Six of the plaintiffs are also claiming medical costs. No amount is stated in the lawsuit, but one of the plaintiffs estimated that for repairs alone each family would need about $50,000. According to one resident, "No one's looking to get rich from this. We just want to finish this and go on with our lives."

The town, too, is looking to get back the $5000 they had to dish out to clean up the stinky mess caused by the developer and his contractor. Richard Wargo, the Windber Borough manager was assured that Ramblin' Hills insurers would pay their bill, but like the residents, Wargo couldn't find the insurer to make a claim for the town's money.