- After months of negotiating with the city, a family is suing the City of Tallahassee for a wastewater system failure that let sewage flood their home.
- The sewage issue happened in April when Tallahassee saw historic flooding.
- In court documents filed the day after Christmas, the family is seeking what they call "full and just compensation" for damages.
- Watch the video for a closer look at the damage to their home.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Months after having their home filled with sewage, a Northeast Tallahassee couple is now suing the city.
In May, I shared the couple's story about the sewage issue that happened during April flooding.
While the city was willing to pay for some of the damage, they say it's not enough.
"We literally were just asking just pay for what we need to be back in our house," said Tara Williams.
That's what Tara and Brad Williams told me in September that they want from the city of Tallahassee.
Now, an attorney writing that the family wants "...full and just compensation..." for the damage that raw sewage left behind in their house.
They said their sinks, toilets and showers had sewage come up and flood their home.
After the city took responsibility for the system failure and offered them only a portion of the cost of repairs, the family filed a lawsuit in Leon County the day after Christmas.
Their attorney Liz Ellis wrote in a court filing Thursday that the quote "...untreated blackwater and bodily waste throughout the home constitute a level 3 biohazard..." noting "....more than 8 months since their home was flooded with raw sewage - the Williams family remains displaced...."
City attorney Jim Cooke said at a September commission meeting that they could only offer the Williams $200,000 under Florida's Sovereign Immunity Act. It's a law that exempts local governments from having to pay more than $200,000 to an individual after damages due to alleged negligence.
However, the lawyer for the Williams family said quote "The city's actions... Constitute a physical invasion which created substantial interference with the Williams family's property rights."
On Tuesday, I spoke to a city spokesperson who told me the city attorney is out for the holiday, but that they do not typically comment on pending litigation.
The attorney for the family wrote in a statement "For over 8 months, the Williams Family has been displaced from their home after a catastrophic failure of the City’s wastewater system left the residence flooded with raw sewage. Although they are disappointed they couldn’t be made whole without resorting to litigation, this complaint simply seeks to allow them to return to their home and restore some sense of normalcy to their lives."
The city has 20 days to respond to the family's complaint.
