Homeowner seeks $50K in damages
A homeowner is suing the Village of Nelsonville for $50,000 for damages to her Secor Street home during storm flooding in 2023.
In the complaint, Susan Branagan accuses the village of routinely allowing branches, leaves and debris to block the drain grate for a culvert across the street from her home. On July 9, 2023, she said, the blockage caused the first floor of her home to fill with up to 35 inches of water.
Eight days after the storm, Branagan told the Village Board that she and a neighbor often cleaned the culvert themselves. According to the filing, Mayor Chris Winward warned them about do-it-yourself fixes, and Branagan responded: “Stop the water from rising in my house and I will not do dangerous things.”
