Corrective work on drains begins in Mountain Park

Work has begun to correct drainage problems affecting dozens of homes in the Mountain Park subdivision.

Some residents had drainage problems so severe they found water trapped in crawlspaces, garages and other parts of their homes reaching one foot or more, they said. Mold, cracked concrete and shifted ground occurred on many homeowners' properties, too.

Owners of roughly 130 homes in the subdivision sought some sort of physical remediation, said Robert Maddox, the attorney who represented the homeowners.

"I feel extremely relieved and elated it has come to this point," said Jan Marie Brown, one of the homeowners who served as a resident representative during the legal actions.

The homeowners this spring agreed to final settlements. The most elaborate fix - for homeowners with the most serious water accumulations and damage - is worth about $14,000. Homes with less severe water problems are being offered a simpler repair worth $7,700.

Many of the properties were surveyed to determine which solution would work best. Other residents submitted photographs and other documents substantiating their losses.

Homeowners who had work done to correct problems on their own, or who wanted a different contractor to do the job, opted for a payment of $7,700. The vast majority, about 240, opted to take financial compensation. This is because many of them had already made repairs, Maddox said.

Repair work began on Spooner Drive a few weeks ago and is progressing at a rate of roughly one house each weekday. Spooner is one of the areas of Mountain Park that received the most water damage during the years.

The houses were built in this mid-city area between 1992 and 1998. Legal action was originally taken by the 370 homeowners in late 1999. They filed a class-action lawsuit against Carson City, Stanton Park Development Co., Millard Realty and Construction Co., and Garretson-Furgerson Construction Co. The city's role as a defendant stems from allowing the houses to be built.

An initial settlement payment of $10,000 was provided to each resident who made a personal injury claim in 2003 from the original $14.5 million settlement. A budget of more than $4 million was created from the remainder of settlement money to pay for drainage upgrades and other damage to homes.

Plans for quick fixes went awry as estimates for the work rose, design changes were required and costs to do this type of work rose speedily, and a tighter budget and more cost-effective solution was required.

"I'm very happy for the homeowners getting their homes fixed," Brown said. "It's been a long time coming, a lot of work, a lot of meetings, and lot of thinking things over."

The work is expected to be finished by the end of September.

Virtually all of the money owed the residents has been distributed, and Mountain Park homeowners should be receiving letters in the mail from Maddox's office explaining how workers will progress through the subdivision.

• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.