Utility contractor dug up my lawn and broke my sewer pipe

[profector]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kansas

A couple of weeks ago I found water backed up in my garage and utility room. I sucked up the water, took the clothes to a laundry mat, and then got the plumber out who stuck a camera down my sewer. He said the line was crushed. We figured out the local power company, KCP&L, had contracted out the work to CLS. CLS came out and dug a trench and pulled up part of my drive way and fixed the sewer line ... and the work went on.

A few days later they came out put down new concrete. They did a really bad job and on top of that it rained that evening, making it look worse. And the work went on.

Now they've finished the work they started originally, laying new underground cable. I have a small amount of dirt in middle of the yard, about 3' x 8', that they put straw and seed on, dirt clumps everywhere, tractor indentions from their machines, bare spots, and a drive way that looks like craps, gravel and rocks everywhere. I do have a large dirt spot next to the drive they did an okay job, but they sunk in sidewalk right there when they drove thier machine over the curb. The list goes on. I've called the super for the contractor a few times. He called me about a week ago, the day after they finished, and said he'd come by and look at it. He hasn't returned my calls since.

I would like to consider myself a very patient person, but I'm very frustrated now and thinking of consulting an attorney. Between the plumber bills that I already have, the cost of the new drive way, the sod, and the dirt work I’m guessing $2000+, maybe $3000+ of my money I’m going to have to shell out to get them back to the way they were.

So what do you say am I going to have to get this fixed myself, or is it the utilities company responsibility?

[FarmerJ]

Stop calling and send a letter to the utility and the contractor via certified mail with your complaints and include copies of the repair bills and pictures you take and set a time frame for them to call you first before speaking to a atty , this way you have a paper trail regarding your complaints.

[profector]

That's similiar to what my Father in law told me. He had said, send them a certified letter saying that they have 10 days to fix the problem. If they haven't fixed it in 10 days then do the repairs myself and contact an atty.