County cleans out canal, causes sinkholes, home damage (Sunrise, Rotonda: HOA, lawyers)

[Restrain]

Homeowners on Sunrise Waterway have awoken to sinkholes in their property. Seems the county cleaned the canal of alge and excessive water plants....and in the process the disturbing of the bottom is causing water infiltration and sinkholes along the canal. The sinkholes are not just a nuisance but are damaging the homes.The county is putting out bulkheads for the canal out for bids, but the damage is ongoing. Question now is who is going to pay for the damage. I anticipate a lot of lawyers and lawsuits.

Just something to think on, especially if buying along a freshwater canal that have a tendency to have a lot of water plants.

[snowtired14]

In a recent West Ways article, the Rotonda West HOA released over 1300 grass carp into the canals to help control weeds and reduce the need for herbicides and dredging.

[Restrain]

Maybe the difference is many of these canals don't have good access to the harbor while Sunrise drains directly into the river. Of course, Rotunda controls its own canals whereas CC would have to think outside the box to consider such a remedy

[snowtired14]

Originally Posted by Restrain

Maybe the difference is many of these canals don't have good access to the harbor while Sunrise drains directly into the river. Of course, Rotunda controls its own canals whereas CC would have to think outside the box to consider such a remedy

Wouldn't that be funny? Releasing thousands of carp and watching them swim off into the sunset-LOL

[Boris347]

Originally Posted by Restrain

Homeowners on Sunrise Waterway have awoken to sinkholes in their property. Seems the county cleaned the canal of alge and excessive water plants....and in the process the disturbing of the bottom is causing water infiltration and sinkholes along the canal. The sinkholes are not just a nuisance but are damaging the homes.The county is putting out bulkheads for the canal out for bids, but the damage is ongoing. Question now is who is going to pay for the damage. I anticipate a lot of lawyers and lawsuits.

Just something to think on, especially if buying along a freshwater canal that have a tendency to have a lot of water plants.

I don't see how that would cause sinkholes, since its a Natural Phenomena and not a manmade one. Everything that causes sinkholes happens subsurface, or underground. The sinkhole is already there when the top surface loses its weight bearing structure, which can happen at any time and any place. Playing with the surface does not make sinkholes.

Unless your talking about dredging a canal that has land mass on both side comprised mostly of unstable mud beneath the top fill, and the ground is actually oozing out into the canal, causing the top surface to sink under homes.

If that's the case, the Home owners should have know what kind of lad they purchased to build on, since I am sure there where surveys and other land records indicating the risks.

I live near an Ocean, and folks with Money like to buy Seashore Property, knowing the risks from Storms and Water, and then cry like Babies when the home gets Damaged and want the Taxpayers to pay for rebuilding it. Taxpayer money should not pay for it at all, if you chose to be near water.