Houston woman says city refuses to pay for damages to home after water line flood

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman living on Houston's south side said the city has declined to pay for repairs to her home after a waterline burst, causing it to flood.

Beverly Jones said she got the disappointing call from the city Wednesday, which is almost three months after the incident.

Back on Feb. 1, Jones' back-door neighbors had a water line rupture in their front yard.

"There was like a big boom and water and rocks and concrete and everything was falling," John Jasper said.

Jasper and his wife, Angela, said they had what started out as a small leak on a city water line in their front yard for weeks. They said they called the city several times to fix it, and weeks later, crews went to their home for repairs.

That happened on a Wednesday. On Friday, the line ruptured.

"It was scary," Angela Jasper said. "It was really, really bad. I've never witnessed that."

The water shot out of the ground for more than two hours, according to the Jaspers, and flooded their street. It shot over the back side of their house and hit Jones' home.

"I saw where the water was coming up and from over the fence and as high as the light pole," Jones recalled.

She said the carpet and sheetrock in her primary bedroom, closet, and bathroom got wet.

Shortly after, Jones said she submitted a claim to the city for reimbursement for the damages. She said she turned in everything the city asked for, including repair estimates that listed the cost as several thousand dollars.

On Wednesday, she got a call from the city telling her the claim was denied.

"Said there's no liability," Jones said. "I mean, you know, they're not going to be able to do anything to help me, and I asked them, 'So, where did the water come from?'"

She said the person on the other end of the line told her to submit a claim to her insurance, but Jones does not believe she should assume any of the liability.

Now, Jones is stuck in limbo over what to do. She has not been able to sleep in her bed for months, and has gnats in her home due to the water. She said that since the incident, her health has suffered.

She was emotional in her bedroom and said it is hard for somebody to be treated the way she is.

"I'm just asking if they would do right and do the right thing and put my home back livable because I'm really confined in a way from an area in the back," Jones explained. "I've given them everything that they've asked for me to provide."

ABC13 reached out to the city to find out why the claim was declined, but they have not provided an explanation.

The Jaspers said the city fixed the line in their yard following the leak.

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