Residents of the Shadow Bay community in Longwood are demanding action over ongoing flooding, and they hope to see the person responsible held accountable during a Seminole County court hearing on Thursday afternoon.
“I feel trapped. I’m really worried that my investment is going to be worthless,” said Jennell Taylor, a resident in the neighborhood.
Taylor, along with many others, has been dealing with severe flooding that has damaged property and disrupted daily life.
Cars have been stuck in water, lawns destroyed, and after heavy rains, Taylor said she can’t even access her driveway.
[TIMELINE: Longwood woman fills drainpipe with concrete, sparks neighborhood flooding]
But the situation goes beyond inconvenience.
“I’m really concerned for my neighbors, who’ve missed medication deliveries,” Taylor added.
After what felt like an eternity, the woman accused of filling a pipe with concrete, causing the flooding, will finally face a judge.
Taylor said the neighborhood will stand united and attend the court hearing together.
They are even planning to wear matching shirts that read, “Love thy neighbor, not flood thy neighbor.”
As for Taylor’s expectations of the hearing, she expressed hope for immediate action.
“Fines levied first, but what we really want to see is the county force her to fix the problem she created,” Taylor said.
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The flooding has led to new problems for Taylor.
She showed News 6′s Treasure Roberts a picture of water and Thinset coming up between the grout line in her bedroom floor tiles.
Taylor said she had an inspection done before purchasing the home earlier this year, and nothing like this was noted.
“So seeing something like this suddenly happen is extremely concerning,” Taylor said.
Other neighbors, like Stephen Vidman, are also struggling with the aftermath. He struggles to do everyday tasks like walking his dog.
“Now we have to walk different ways, we can’t even think about walking here, there could be snakes or who knows what else,” Vidman said.
Vidman plans to be at Thursday’s hearing, as well.
“I hope they fine her every single day until she fixes it,” he said.
The community’s request is simple.
“Please do what you can to help us make this neighborhood livable again,” Taylor pleaded.
Residents remain hopeful that the legal action will bring a resolution to their flooding nightmare.
The Seminole County court hearing starts Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
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