CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 has received new complaints from Charlotte neighbors about problems that they say are a result of AT&T Fiber installation.
Residents on Elmstone Drive in south Charlotte said crews installed fiber lines more than a year ago, but they said they’re starting to see the damage that was done during installation.
"You're just wondering when it's going to hit and where,” neighbor Karen Cope said.
Brian Trei may have seen the worst of it. He filed a claim with AT&T in December after the sewer line in front of his home failed and flooded his downstairs.
He paid a company $3,500 to dig up the damaged line and make repairs.
He believes crews that put in the orange fiber line in 2016 cut the bottom of his sewer line. The problem was unnoticed for months, until the line failed in December 2017.
AT&T sent Trei a letter denying his claim. The company told him it would pass his claim along to the contractor that did the work, Ansco.
"I've been a customer for over a decade. For the sake of a small $3,500 claim, they're going to risk the well-being of a customer that spends over $6,000 a year on their service?" Trei said.
Neighbors said another homeowner also filed a claim with AT&T for a water main issue. After nine months, they said AT&T paid the homeowner.
Channel 9 has seen similar issues across Charlotte.
[Charlotte families say high speed internet triggered home flooding]
In another south Charlotte neighborhood, AT&T crews had been working to install fiber lines over the past month. On Friday, one woman’s ceiling collapsed and another man’s downstairs flooded. Since Channel 9’s story aired, crews had to dig up that man’s yard. They found a broken pipe that was likely caused by some kind of impact. AT&T has not admitted to the problems.
Channel 9 went to city and state officials and asked who is holding the company responsible.
City officials have fined contractors thousands of dollars for this type of damage in the past, but hasn’t given Channel 9 updated numbers.
The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office said customers filed 428 complaints against AT&T in 2017.
“I don’t think it’s right for this homeowner to have to pay for these charges,” Cope said.
Channel 9 reached out to AT&T and asked how many claims the company has received and how many it has paid out. Channel 9 is still waiting to hear back.
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