Homeowner sues Lee’s Summit over water leaks

A Lee’s Summit man is suing the city over a loss of at least $100,000 that he says resulted from a series of water leaks and breaks that damaged the foundation of a home on his property.

Peter Christy said he tried for about two years to get restitution before he filed suit last month in Jackson County Circuit Court.

A break in October 2011 shot a 60-foot geyser that went over the top of the house 1704 N.E. Balboa, according to the suit, and water ran down the porch through the front yard for about seven hours. By October 2012 there had been a total of five breaks, the suit said.

Flowing water undermined the porch, Christy says in the suit, and it pulled away from the house causing the house to shift and the foundation to become unstable. The cause of the breaks is attributed to corrosion of aging water lines, the suit says.

The city’s Law Department said officials are aware of the lawsuit.

“This matter has been managed by the city’s insurance carrier since the inception of Mr. Christy’s original claim in 2012, and will continue to be handled through the insurance carrier under the terms of the city’s liability policy. We anticipate that the lawsuit will be vigorously defended.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2014 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Homeowner sues Lee’s Summit over water leaks."