Woman seeks compensation from county after basement flooded with sewage

Staff report

WARREN

A Girard woman filed a suit in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court against the county commissioners and the sanitary engineering department, seeking $25,000 to compensate for property damage caused by clogged sewage pipes.

On March 30, Antionette Marotti of Girard said she was awakened by the sound of water and found at least a foot of raw sewage backing up from the public sewer into her home, according to the complaint.

The flooding problem was the result of a clogged pipe operated by the defendants, the complaint says.

“Plaintiff states the defendant’s negligence consisted of a proprietary function under [state code] involving the ‘maintenance, destruction, operation and upkeep of a sewer system,’ which deprives the defendants of the defense of government immunity,” the complaint reads.

The flooding ruined personal property such as family photos, and Marotti had to hire services to fix the property damage.

County Commissioner Frank Fuda said the clogged pipes were taken care of.

Bill Danso with the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office said he can’t comment on a pending case.