AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — An 82-year-old woman in Amherst has been calling the forestry department for help for months without a response. A township-owned tree in her yard has been slowly crushing her sewer pipes.
Carmen Bailey has lived on Springfield Avenue in Amherst since the 1980s.
“Sewer runs underneath that tree, and with all the roots, it messes everything up,” Carmen said.
“Well, [the sewer line is] all backed up, and it’s trying to get through these roots,” Carmen’s oldest son Robert said.
Robert told me the only way his mom gets by is by hiring a plumber to frequently clear the pipes.
“Every six months, that adds up,” Carmen said.
Robert and his brother Ron sought to help their mom fix this issue once and for all. They asked the town's forestry department for permission to cut or trim parts of the tree and were surprised by the answer they got.
They were told in an email that getting rid of the tree won't solve the issue, because the roots will keep growing. The town forestry department said, “The only way to rectify the issue is to run new PVC pipe from the house to the town's sanitary line.”
"She’s 82 years old, she’s on a fixed income, she shouldn’t have to be dealing with this,” Ron said. “It just seems they don’t care about an 82-year-old woman that has to put out thousands of dollars on a fixed income, and it’s embarrassing for [the town].”
Rob and Ron told me the cost of a new pipe is $12,000.
When they went to their homeowner's insurance, their policy offered $6,500 coverage but would increase it to $10,000 if they got a letter from the town explaining the need.
When they asked the town several times for that letter, they never got a response. I also called the town asking for the paper, but nobody answered.
“It would be wonderful to not have to worry about this anymore,” Carmen said.
“We have got to get somebody involved to get the story out there,” Ron said.
“Well If that’s the case, I’m calling Channel 7 News and talking to an attorney,” Robert said.
