The Daily Populous Sunday July 14th, 2024 morning edition
Authored by fox35orlando.com and submitted by licecrispies

People living in the ShadowBay neighborhood of Longwood say this week marked the third time the streets have flooded like this in just the past few weeks. One neighbor could wind up owing thousands of dollars because of it.

Those residents say this problem is entirely new and traceable to one neighbor.

"I filled in the two manholes and that broken pipe because I didn't want any more erosion on my property," Diane Goglas told FOX 35 News.

In March, Goglas sent her neighbors a letter saying she believed a drain pipe was installed on her property without her permission. In the letter, she asks for compensation for water moving across her property, saying, "I advise you of this because once I close that pipe off, you will have a drain problem that will back up on the road and on your property."

In April, she sealed off the pipe. In June, neighbors started feeling the effects.

"Now it rains, and it sits there. The water sits there; it does not drain out of the roadways, and it goes into the yards," said Sallie Spires, who lives in ShadowBay.

Goglas talked with FOX 35 about this last month but declined to interview again Wednesday, saying she’s prepping for litigation.

Court records show ShadowBay’s HOA is suing Goglas over this, and the secretary of that HOA told FOX 35 that the flooding "presents a clear threat to life and safety."

Seminole County just sent Goglas a notice of code violation, saying she has to remove the concrete and repair the existing stormwater pipe and drainage fixtures. She has until July 22nd to comply – the Monday after next. If she doesn’t, she could face fines of up to $300 a day.

AnnArchist on July 14th, 2024 at 04:28 UTC »

I laughed hard enough to push out a fart on this one.

Spector567 on July 14th, 2024 at 01:39 UTC »

How on earth did she think it was installed illegally without her knowledge?

Because if she owned the property at the time of installation I’m sure she would have noticed a large trench and the effects of it.

Honestly it sounds like she is going to sue and lose unless there are other details to this.