A house in southwest Atlanta was mistakenly demolished while the owner was away on vacation.
According to owner Susan Hodgson, the house, which had been in her family for a long time, was reduced to a pile of rubble.
Hodgson told AP News that she’s “furious” about the situation. “I keep waking up thinking, ‘Is this all a joke or something?’ I’m just in shock,” she remarked.
House demolished by mistake
According to Hodgson, a neighbor informed her of the demolition while she was away and mentioned seeing a crew tearing down the house.
The neighbor’s attempt to intervene was met with hostility by the workers who “told her to shut up and mind her own business.”
But they should have heeded the neighbors warning, because when Hodgson sent a family member over to the house, the crew boss finally checked the permit and realized they had knocked down the wrong building.
After admitting the error, the foreman packed up his gear and left behind the demolished home without hauling any of the mess they left behind away.
Hodgson told Fox 5 that she was concerned that the demolition may have ruptured the gas and water lines to the house, which could further damage the property and endanger neighbors.
Company who demolished house dodges owner
“How do people just go up and tear somebody’s property down and then just drive off,” she questioned.
Despite acknowledging their mistake, the company responsible, You Call It We Haul It, has not reached out to Hodgson regarding next steps, though they claimed to be working to resolve the issue.
The owner said the house has been boarded up for years, but is regularly maintained, up to code, and the property taxes are paid.
Hodgson has taken legal action and involved the police, but the resolution remains uncertain. “We’re still in this process of figuring out what to do,” she commented.
She remains in shock that the the company has not reached out to make amends for the glaring error.
“It’s just hard to believe someone thinks they have the right to just come and tear something up and walk away from it and didn’t come back and say ‘I’m sorry. What do I need to do to fix this? It was an accident.’ They didn’t give me nothing,” Hodgson stated.
