Last month, on October 22, Susan Hodgson returned home from vacation to find a pile of debris where her home used to be, according to the Associated Press.
The house is located on Lakewood Avenue in the southwest area of Atlanta, Georgia – USA.
Mrs. Hodgson told in an interview that the house had been her family’s property for a long time, now it was just a pile of discarded wood. Photo: AP
The company that demolished Ms. Hodgson’s home is You Call It We Haul It, a construction waste removal company that has been operating in Atlanta for 30 years. Speaking with FOX 5, You Call It We Haul It announced that they are investigating and resolving the incident.
However, according to the AP news agency, Ms Hodgson was not contacted by the company concerned until October 22. “I was crazy. I kept wondering if it was a joke. I was so shocked” – expressed Mrs. Hodgson.
Mrs. Hodgson’s house is made of wood, which has been carefully preserved for about 15 years, and the garden is also mowed and cleared. All taxes related to the house are paid in full.
Mrs Hodgson remembered that while she was on holiday last month, a neighbor had called asking if she would hire someone to demolish the house. Mrs. Hodgson replied no, to which the neighbor replied: “Oh, so someone came here to destroy and trash your whole house.”
Mrs. Hodgson immediately asked a relative to come and investigate the situation and ask permission from the demolition team. When the team manager re-checked the permit he admitted that he had vandalized the wrong address.
Ms Hodgson is concerned that water and gas pipes could be broken during demolition. She said she reported it to police and worked with a lawyer, but the matter was not resolved satisfactorily.
“It’s unbelievable that someone thinks they have the right to come and destroy something and then walk away without apologizing or being compensated. They don’t pay me anything” – complained Ms Hodgson.
