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Contractor crew damages property, homeowner waiting for repairs

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BATON ROUGE - For the last month, a homeowner along Old Hammond Highway says a crew has been working to install a cell tower and in the process, it's torn up her front yard.

Brenda Pearson says heavy machinery parked near the front of her property added to the mess. A contractor hired by AT&T used the machinery to sink a tall pole into the ground. Now that the machinery is gone, Pearson is wondering when the damage will be fixed.

Long, deep ruts have been left behind and recent rain in Baton Rouge has turned those ruts into a muddy mess, pooling water, creating deep indentations.

With her home up for sale, Pearson says it's important the property be restored to the way it was prior to the work. She fears people have seen the yard and have been discouraged to put an offer on the house.

"I've had people ride by and send me messages, 'What happened in your front yard?'" she said.

Pearson says what bothers her most about the look of her yard is that she was never notified prior to the project being started. Instead, she woke up one morning and found a crew in her yard at the corner of Shirley Avenue and Old Hammond Highway at work.

"I think it's very disappointing that a company the size of AT&T can come in, deface your property, never knock on your door and say, 'This is what we're going to do, may we have permission?'" Pearson said.

AT&T tells 2 On Your Side the project is in the public right of way and it received a permit from the City-Parish. It also provided the following statement.

"We continue to work to improve the experience for our customers in this area, which includes placing equipment in the public right of way. Our subcontractor has spoken with this resident and confirmed any damage will be restored and this project is completed to our standards."

Saturday, a crew came by to take away the machinery left on the property. Pearson says she was told a landscaper would be visiting the property to place sod. No timeframe for the repairs was given.



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