LEWISTON — A Jean Street couple is suing the city, claiming a problem with the sewer system caused dirty water to flood their basement twice during the summer of 2009.

Andreas and Daniela Staton have filed a civil suit in Androscoggin County Superior Court in Auburn. The couple’s lawyer, Coleman Coyne Jr., said that on July 2, 2009, the Statons’ partially finished basement was flooded by a city sewer line that ran underneath it. At times, he said, the sewer water spewed into the basement, lifting the concrete floor and leaving several inches of dirty water. 

“It looks like the (sewer) line deteriorated to the point it broke,” Coyne said.

The water damaged the basement floor and some of the couple’s belongings, including items that had been part of a basement playroom and items that had been stored there while the family was renovating the upstairs, Coyne said.

The couple was in the process of repairing the damaged floor when, on Aug.  11, they said it happened again.

Repairs and damage cost the couple more than $30,000, Coyne said. The Statons’ homeowner’s insurance did not cover the damage. The couple contacted the city’s insurance agent, Coyne said, but got little help. 

“The city’s insurance never really made an offer,” Coyne said. “They kept coming back to us requesting further documentation or receipts for items, some of which were not replaced; they were just damaged. But some of them were old, antique items even, that you don’t still have the receipt for, that kind of thing. We did our best and eventually we decided to file suit because we really weren’t getting anywhere and it’s a year and a half.”

The city’s lawyer, Jonathan Brogan, said he was in the process of investigating the Statons’ claim and was working to address the legal issues, including where the sewer problem occurred and the damage it might have caused.

“There are a lot of legal issues that still haven’t been dealt with, nor damage issues,” Brogan said. “We’re just sort of ongoing.”

He said he hopes to resolve the case out of court.

Several families around Bardwell, Franklin, Nichols, White, Wood and Vale streets, as well as Central Avenue, reported similar flooding after a July 2, 2009, rainstorm resulted in sewage backups in basements.

The city began an appeals process in March 2010 for residents whose homes were damaged but who had been denied claims by the city’s insurance company. In November, councilors voted to approve $28,000 in claims for three families. 

ltice@sunjournal.com