‘Been a nightmare’: Concord family says flooding bad for home, dangerous for their dogs

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord family says they’ve had problems with flooding, which has led to another issue that could be dangerous for their dogs.

Shaun Hamilton says, “When it rains, you shouldn’t have to panic.”

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He and his wife say the water doesn’t drain well in their yard when it rains. Then they noticed something dark forming in the yard.

The couple says they spent their own money to have it tested.

The lab, SePRO, told them and told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke that it’s blue-green algae and placed it in the “extreme” category, which means: “High potential for significant respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological impacts. Potential for acute poisonings. Potential for long-term illness with chronic exposures.”

“It’s just been a nightmare,” Hamilton said.

The CDC has multiple warnings about blue-green algae, especially about it harming pets. The Hamiltons worry about their dogs, including Skyler. They say he’s had some health issues, including skin and allergies. They think it’s due to the yard conditions.

Stoogenke spoke with their vet, who agrees.

The Hamiltons blame the drainage issues on the man who built their house, Gary Laton.

Laton says he’s been telling the Hamiltons all along that their fence is in a bad spot and that it doesn’t divert the water properly.

Laton did not install the fence, but he told Stoogenke he’ll pay to move it. But the Hamiltons feel the fence is only part of the problem, so this appears to be a stalemate.

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Stoogenke offers this advice for when you buy a home:

- Make sure you know your city’s or county’s rules about how long water should pond after it rains.

- If the drainage issue is within 10 feet of your foundation, it could violate state rules. Ask the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors to investigate: complaints@nclbgc.org.

- If you and your builder can’t see eye to eye, you may have to talk to a lawyer although that could cost more than fixing it yourself. The Hamiltons say that’s their situation.

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