BARTHOLOMEW CO. — If you're thinking about buying a home, be aware you might have one more thing to consider that you haven't thought about - a high water table.
Folks in a Bartholomew County neighborhood are trying to bail out there homes, near North Marr Road and East 600 North.
No mail has come to this neighborhood for days. But for the folks who live here that's the least of their concerns.
Their cul de sac has been filled with water for 16 days. It's flooding their homes and they say no one will help.
Amanda Burdine and her husband bought and moved into their home five years ago, where there is no drainage system in the neighborhood.
So when a heavy rain comes, the water sits and seeps into Burdine's home.
Burdine's daughter found the problem first.
"One of them came down to grab a book and stepped by their bed and stepped in the water," Burdine said.
The entire family of six now lives in the upstairs of their tri-level home. it's all too familiar for the Burdine's, considering their house and the neighborhood flooded in July 2015.
"We had to cut our walls half way – take out our carpets – redo our entire lower level," Burdine said. "Cost us about 25 thousand dollars."
The family just paid off the debt last month. They applied for flood insurance and were denied because the neighborhood is not technically in a floodplain.
Burdine is seeking help for the county. "I’m trying to get a system put in place in a neighborhood that should have always been there."
RTV6 talked to County Commissioner, Larry Kleinhenz, who says in 2002 the county developed a drainage system that would have required neighbors to pay around $1,000 a year for several years. But Kleinhez says only roughly 1/3 of the community is affected by the high water, and not enough people voted to pass it.
Burdine said she would be willing to try and get neighbors on board with raising taxes to get something put in.
"Oh absolutely. I think if you have the choice between raising your taxes for something that should have already been there or to just redo your house every three years everybody is gonna go with the raising your taxes," Burdine said.
Kleinhenz says the drainage system can still be implemented if the neighborhood gets behind it.
There is a county commission meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday. Burdine says she is planning to attend and raise the isue again with the commissioner.
