North Carolina Lawyers Weekly
Residents living in North Carolina whose community dam was damaged by Hurricane Matthew have won a $162.5 million judgment against the dam’s owner.
The Associated Press reports that Woodlake residents say that Woodlake Corp. failed to maintain the dam and that it did not meet a deadline to drain or repair the damage caused by the hurricane a few years ago.
As a result, the 1,200-acre lake was drained by the state and left mostly empty for months, impacting the value of properties.
Residents sued in October saying that the company still advertises “lakefront” properties, while the lake barely exists anymore due to the damage.
Woodlake Corp. did not respond to the lawsuit or the AP’s requests for comment.
