Complete Contracting, Inc. was requested by attorneys at Lea, Clyburn and Rhine to review a number of properties damaged by the effects of dewatering of a large area in New Bern, N.C., as result of dewatering activities conducted by a local mining company. The properties were older and mostly of brick and the owners needed help to protect their investment. These people that lived in these homes were hard working and honest folks that did not understand why cracks were appearing in their exterior walls, foundations, drywall, opening trims, driveways and elsewhere. They did not understand why their windows were hard to close and some doors in their home swung freely while other would stick.
When a person would look thru the neighborhood, the damage was as clear as if a Mack truck had plowed through. The channels dug for the purpose of bringing water to the marl mine had collapsed when the mine had not kept up with the return of water to the mining operation in keeping with their permit. This collapse had been the cause of the settlement of these homes and neighborhood overall.
Complete was hired by counsel for these homeowners to document the damages to these properties to understand the cause and establish the scope and costs of the repairs. We relied on the engineers and foundation people that were available to help us put together the pieces of this multi-million dollar loss. We accomplished this goal and presented the claim under oath to a North Carolina judge in the arbitration of this file. The outcome was satisfactory to all parties and these people were able to preserve their assets in their homes.
