PITTSBURGH – A local property owner whose restaurant and bakery business was injured through the loss of his basement, as a result of a neighboring water main break last year, has filed legal action as a result.
Frank Cupelli of Coraopolis filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on June 13 versus West View Water Authority, of Pittsburgh.
Cupelli owned real estate upon which was a two-story building at the intersection of Broadway and Dohrman Street in Stowe Township. At that same location, West View Water Authority possessed and controlled an underground water main pipe, located about 20 feet to the west side of the property.
On or about Dec. 24, 2016, the water main broke at a location on Dohrman Street next to the plaintiff’s property, which caused a break in the property's foundation wall and allowed water to seep through and flood the basement of the property.
According to Cupelli, West View Water Authority knew of the deteriorating condition of the water main and was negligent in not inspecting, maintaining or repairing the main in a timely manner. As a result, Cupelli had to spend money cleaning and restoring the basement of the property, had permanent changes occur to the foundation which will require great expense to restore to its pre-damaged condition and suffered the loss of use of the basement for his restaurant and bakery business.
For a count of negligence, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of the jurisdictional threshold of $35,000.000 and a jury trial.
The plaintiff is represented by John A. Caputo of the Law Offices of John A. Caputo, in Pittsburgh.
Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-17-008654
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com