10-15-2008, 09:27 PM
N.S.Karen it is a shame your mothers problem got this far, however, since you grew up in Beach Park, were a member of a school board and have a husband that works for a local government, you of all people should know that no one can just dig in a right of way. There is no community that allows this and for good reasons. If the company your mother hired was reputable they should have been very aware of, and obtained, all the required permits prior to the job and at the very least included their costs into the quote. Your mother should also have been told by her contractor that she was not required to provide a cash bond, but could have purchased insurance for a small fraction of the coast. You also are very aware that any local government that owns the sidewalks, streets, rights of way and parkways do not pay for most improvements. They are almost always passed on to homeowners.