5 On Your Side

5 On Your Side Kicks Collapsed Driveway Repairs Into Gear

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FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A roofing truck delivering shingles to Jeanette Sampson's rental house two months ago left a huge mess behind.

"The back of the truck starts to lift up so it can lift to the crew up on the roof, and when it did, the whole driveway just collapsed underneath them," Sampson said.

Huge slabs of concrete now stick out of a hole at various angles from a washed-out hole under the driveway. Sampson said she's concerned about her young daughter and other neighborhood children, whose curiosity could get them in trouble.

"If one of these pieces was to shimmy and move some, there's no way I could get her out if she was to get trapped in there," she said.

Sampson, who rents the Fayetteville home, called property manager Pennink & Strother, which called the homeowner and his insurance company, USAA.

Three weeks went by before an insurance representative took pictures of the damage. She said no one would tell her when the driveway would be fixed or what was taking so long, so she turned to 5 On Your Side for help.

"Somewhere, someone's dragging their feet, and you know, enough's enough," she said.

Pennink & Strother manager Jason Weaver told 5 On Your Side that he is just as frustrated as Sampson, noting he can't authorize repairs over $300 without the homeowner's permission. Because the homeowner is deployed overseas, he said he has to wait for the insurance company.

So, 5 On Your Side called USAA. A representative said the repairs were delayed because an independent engineer had to inspect the damage. But the company sent a check for repairs the same day.

Within a couple of weeks, the repair work started, and Sampson can now again drive on her driveway.

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