Triangle business owners sopping up flood damage
DURHAM (WTVD) -- Business owners at the Tyron Business Center on Durham Drive and Tryon Road in Raleigh are still sopping up the damage Hurricane Matthew left behind.
Some of the owners said they were told to move out by this weekend, but the property manager would not confirm that.
Flooding is a recurring issue there and across eastern North Carolina, but business owners say Matthew hit them especially hard.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation explained that the property owner has failed to fix a problem with the storm water drainage system, which caused the flooding.
Rain water flooded the Tupperware office of Debby Davis. She says she lost about $10,000 in products alone.
"This is my life," Davis said, getting emotional. "I've been in this business for 38 years and it's been my livelihood all that time."
Paul Salone, President of Mosquito & Pest XPerts, says he lost five vehicles and all the tools inside. He also lost computers, files, and everything in the office.
"We're just doing what we have to do in order to service our customers and get prepared to continue doing business," Salone said.
NCDOT said flooding at the property is caused by at least two negligently-installed connections on property owned by Weeks and Sherron, LLC. The city of Raleigh and NCDOT have been in discussions with the owner to fix the problem.
Nothing has been fixed since all parties met in April, though. Through the property manager, the property owner declined to comment.
This inaction is frustrating tenants, who are seeing their businesses wash away.
"Somebody needs to fix it [because] this is not good," Davis said.
"Obviously it's troublesome," Salone said. "You would have thought that something would be rectified along the way."
According to the NCDOT, the only recourse is for the business owners to file a civil lawsuit against the property owner.
One of the business owners TOLD ABC11 it's something she's looking into with other tenants.
