ATLANTA — Atlanta residents who say city operations damaged their homes face steep odds when seeking compensation from the city, according to records obtained by Channel 2 Action News Investigates.
An analysis of city records found that of the 575 home damage claims filed with Atlanta since 2018, roughly 74% were denied.
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One of those denied claims came from an 84-year-old South Fulton woman who says a water pressure surge left her thousands of dollars in damage.
Jennie Neal said she was home when she heard a sudden loud noise.
“I heard something go, bam!” Neal recalled.
She said the force of the incident was so strong it “knocked the top off the commode.”
Moments later, water was pouring through parts of her home.
“I see all that water that’s coming down in the kitchen and everywhere,” Neal said.
Neal believes crews working on water lines one street away over pressurized the system, causing water to surge into her home.
When she contacted Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management, Neal said she was told to file a claim with the city.
That claim was later denied.
“I’ve been calling, calling, calling, trying to get some help from the City of Atlanta,” Neal said. “And they refused to help me.”
The data obtained by Channel 2 Action News Investigates shows Neal’s experience is not unusual.
Records provided by the City of Atlanta in response to an open records request show homeowners filed 575 damage claims between 2018 and 2025. The city denied about three out of every four claims.
The findings are similar to another recent Channel 2 Action News Investigates examination of vehicle damage claims involving potholes and other road hazards.
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That investigation found residents filed 942 road-damage claims since 2021. The city paid money in only 139 cases, about 14% of the claims reviewed.
Years after the water damage, Neal said she is still dealing with problems inside her home.
“It still leaks in here,” she said while pointing out continuing issues in her kitchen.
She said wet flooring caused by the damage led to a serious fall.
“I lay there all that evening, that night and the next day,” Neal said.
Most homeowners insurance policies generally do not cover losses that are determined to be the responsibility of a government entity. Neal said her insurer eventually paid for some repairs, but the money was not enough to complete all of the work needed at her home.
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