A wealthy beachtown is in turmoilas officials rip out backyard swimming pools to repair a sewer line,sparking outrageand lawsuits from homeowners desperate to halt the destruction.
Crews moved in on a stretch of Rhone Lane in Huntington Beach, demolishing pools, patios, and other backyard features above a 30-foot-wide sewer easement running through about 30 properties, according to theDaily Mail.
The underground line — dating back over 60 years — is controlled by the Orange County Sanitation District, which says it has the legal right to access the land and remove any obstructions to the pipeline so it can carry out repairs and maintenance.
However, residents say the situation has gone far beyond just allowing access.
“Easement means access, but OC Sanitation sees this as no; they want possession. And that’s what they’ve done. Effectively, they are taking possession of these people’s lands without giving them any kind of monetary consideration,” homeowner Tony Shahidi toldABC7, adding he stands to lose $350,000 of equity if part of his backyard is demolished.
Many pools were installed years ago with city permits, homeowners said, but they were never warned that the structures could be torn out.
Now, several residents have filed lawsuits, arguing the district is effectively seizing private property without proper compensation.
The dispute has split the neighborhood. Some homeowners have agreed with the district to allow the work to continue. One of them, Ted Beresford, spoke toCBSin March.
“It’s been total, unmitigated chaos,” Beresford explained. “Unnecessary destruction. They’ve taken out the pool. They have destroyed the yard for no reason,” Beresford said.
Beresford said that when he agreed to terms allowing crews to access the 1950s-built sewer easement, he didn’t expect the district to take one-third of his backyard.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
