Woman Afraid Sinkhole May Swallow House

COBB COUNTY, Ga.,None — A giant sinkhole may soon swallow a Cobb County woman's house.

The homeowner said the culvert causing the hole is the city's responsibility.

But a representative for Marietta Public Works said it's on private property.

The homeowner, Faye Mcbee, told Channel 2's Diana Davis that she may end up losing her house.

“I never would have thought something like this could happen to anybody,” said Mcbee.

The sinkhole started small in April but is now at least 10 feet deep.

Mcbee told Davis that she called the city of Marietta right away.

“They came out, cut the driveway and temporarily filled it with gravel. I was told they would be back to fix it," she said.

But just a few days later, Mcbee said the city public works department told her it changed its mind.

After some investigation, the public works director told Davis that the city decided the culvert is not the city's.

Public works director Dan Conn said, “The section of storm drain pipe that is under the road would be the city's, because it was built for the roadway. But there’s a definite change in construction and material on the section that travels underneath the house and is on private property. It’s a private situation. It’s not something we should be spending taxpayer money on.”

The city offered to pay about half of the initial expense to repair the culvert and fill in the hole, as part of a cost-sharing program. But as the hole grows, what would have initially cost about $12,000 now adds up to more than $20,000. Mcbee said she shouldn't have to pay a cent.

“I do not feel it’s morally my place to do it. It’s not. The whole street is in danger here. It’s not just my house and the house next door,” said Mcbee.

Records for who put in the culvert more than 70 years ago are long gone, so Mcbee has no proof.

“Somebody put that culvert there. And I don’t know how to find out who it was, but it was somebody in the city.”

Mcbee said she doesn't have the money to fix the hole. She told Davis that she would rather walk away from her home than dig herself into a deep financial hole.

WSBTV