New Dollars Store FLOODS My Property, Contractors Drag Their Feet to Fix It

Previous video: • New Dollar Store FLOOD...
Remember the nightmare with the new Dollar General next door flooding my dumpster business shop? Well, buckle up, gearheads, because things just went from bad to stuck-with-superglue bad!
Those contractors haven't done much other than pump water out of my shop, which at most has been a never-ending cycle of bandaid solutions. Turns out, they went above and beyond - literally - by accidentally cementing one of my drain lines shut! Now, every time it rains, it's like a watery demolition derby in my shop.
Clogged drains, overworked pumps, and unforeseen damage are piling up faster than a junkyard. It's getting harder and harder to use the space at all, let alone just keep the water problem from spreading farther.
We gotta figure out a way to unclog this mess (literally and figuratively) before my shop becomes a permanent swimming pool!
Stay tuned to see how we navigate this drainage disaster and (hopefully) get some justice served!
UPDATE: The drains have been re-routed, waiting for the next rain to see if it solves some of the problem.

[@rf159a]

I'd have your attorney have a word with your city/state inspectors. They, in my opinion, screwed up too!!!

[@BrianWeber-gt4ho]

Who approved the grading permit etc etc

[@BrianWeber-gt4ho]

I sense typical auto magic permit, money under table. Then contractor issues on top of that......

[@Irilia_neko]

Depending on the city they possibly just don't care

[@whirlybird1999]

One of the first things that crossed my mind as well, along with others like the contractors.

[@J12345cats]

I landscaped about 30 or so dollar generals in ND in the past several years. They do everything half ass, and they will never correct the issue. Get an attorney involved. And call your states epa or department of environmental quality and file a complaint that they are flooding your property with diverted run off. Any of their irrigation lines leaking maybe to?

[@theincredibleshrunkenbeegu7084]

This IS the time to lawyer up. And even though it's going to cost you money, get a bldg inspection asap. It's bad enough to deal with the water NOW. What happens if it rains in Oct or Nov THEN it the temps go below freezing? That slab and foundation will be undermined at the perimeter. If you get an inspection now, you can prove a worsening condition later. Dude, sorry for your troubles and prayers said for the situation. 4:59

[@zpoppe]

You have to contact the state civil engineers office, start a case study, state building inspector, your building may be total loss, get a class action suit started, as soon as possible

[@sevenheadedweasel]

A class action of...one person? Are you just saying lawyer words you heard on TV?

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Do you actually believe your own word salad? Of course you do. What a clown.

[@darkshadowsx5949]

@@sevenheadedweaselthe 3 Affected neighbors. did you watch the whole video?

[@silentepsilon888]

@@darkshadowsx5949 ... even three parties does not make it a class-action case. Multiple parties can be named and represented in a normal legal case. Depending on the type of case, class action status is usually granted for cases with at least 12 or in some cases requiring even more victims.

[@GetThrottled]

You are doing the right things. Definitely keep your attorney looped in for sure.

[@oldtimefiveanddime]

In many states they're not allowed to bring up the ground level above the surrounding areas as it will divert that propertys water onto the lower areas, aka surrounding pieces of land. If they got the okay for that they would have had to put in a drainage pond to offset the extra water after a erosion specialist came in and investigated the situation before construction would have started. To ensure no affect to surrounding properties from excess runoff or erosion. If this was not done it is illegal. Not sure if that's the same in your state if it is, then that would be lawsuit against that Dollar General owner, lawsuit against the contractors, and possible litigation against the local planning department for approving such changes.

[@andrewmusholt9327]

Lawyer up baby

[@grumpysgararge5860]

Pretty sure it is illegal for their water to run on your property, call your city and ask for rainwater management.

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Civil matter. You clowns still believe your government is responsible for your safety.

[@JackofHaulTrades]

Man, I truly felt your pain on flood #3 I almost started crying for you. Keep updating us on how this turns out 🙏

[@chargermopar]

Same thing happened to a friend of mine. They tore down his neighbor's home and built 4 small homes where it was. In the process they collapsed the concrete pipe that used to carry water from the lot to the canal. It took years for the lawsuit and an alternative drain to be installed by the County.

[@zve482]

Sue the city. The contractor built according to building codes. That all falls on the city.

[@koaaloha7461]

You may want to get a ton of sand bags and go around your building creating a temporary water barrier.

[@robertvannicolo4435]

Yea, definitely you have a floating slab not good at all. Apparently, at some point, your storm water pipes were directed towards that culvert to the rear of the adjoining neighborhood. Have to find out if it is part of your towns storm water management plan. If it is someone really screwed up that the Dollar General didn't have to upgrade the system to handle the newly created storm water coming from their property. Could get real costly fast once the lawyers get involved. Hope all turns out for you

[@bobmazzi7435]

Add in building over a drain pipe. It's like they never got a plan of what buried utilities are on the property. And if they damaged the drain pipe during construction, they need to fix that as well. Plus, that transformer looks like it's in a flood zone of it's own. The power company might have some issues about that.

[@weekendhack.whatsnext]

If I were you I would immediately stop posting/commenting publicly about this but continue to video everything and get it to the best attorney that you can find in your area.

[@Boga217]

Yes yes yes

[@tbecause4897]

Nope. Nope. Nope. Always cast daylight on what you can. Name and shame

[@weekendhack.whatsnext]

@@tbecause4897 not unless you want to jeopardize your legal case. First advice any good lawyer will give you is to shut your mouth and let them do their job.

[@Leotheconstructionguy]

Why not expose the scumbags???

[@weekendhack.whatsnext]

@@Leotheconstructionguy I personally would rather win the lawsuit than just get into a public drama and open myself up to a slander suit.

[@hunterharrington6490]

Document document document! Good luck man!

[@BentIronBins]

I truly feel for you because the little guy always seems to loose but im hoping things turn out well stay strong 💪

[@martintaylor984]

I will tell you even with an attorney,Dollar General is Going to say sorry about your luck the city approved our plan. Personally I would build a retaining wall about 4 feet tall 6 inches off the property line so they can’t fill it with dirt that way it all stays on their side. They need to put in a concrete drainage system the whole way around that property and to the closest ditch or manhole.

[@michaelclean8229]

I know it sucks but play your cards right and you will end up with a new building in the end. Get an attorney that specializes in construction and development

[@leehouk6112]

It’s the gift that keeps on giving .

[@jonathanrighetti5897]

step one for me is find the lowest corner inside the building with a transit. saw cut big enough for a 5 gallon bucket to be placed in there with a sump pump. they need to address so many problems from parking lot runoff to roof runoff.

[@andrewbrenneman9592]

If underpinning is needed, DG should be the ones to pay for any & all repairs.

[@cruisen6725]

Dang man. I’m a former licensed remediation contractor. Sorry to say but it is most likely worse than expected. People suck. The slab is floating.

[@jacobmiller4928]

I'd agree. The mud coming up with the water through the slabs is fines from the below slab base. The water is slowly excavating the sub soil and is undermining the slab and foundation. When the flood water disappears that slab is going to settle unevenly and crack. Fastest way to get the water from under the slab is cut a hole or two in the middle of the building for sump pits and trench drain tile to the pits. That doesn't solve the problem of the subsoil from moving around. You got to get the water before it flows under the floor and foundation

[@HillsideAcres]

A good bit of the accountability should fall on your local municipality and building official that issued their building permit. Your tax dollars are paying their wages to prevent things like this from happening. Hold them accountable

[@reluctantfarmer3640]

You really need to call your insurance company. They will streamline the whole process. They will send out an engineer to assess damage. They will tell you who to call to fix all the damage. Then their legal team will go after Dollar General to get paid. You just pay your deductible.

[@ohokayofficial]

6:54 - what about a temporary sand bag wall near your side - until being able to afford - grading and a retaining wall can be built with gravel? It definitely will need a drain tile around the perimeter of the building to absorb that water accumulation Because the previous drain system is definitely unable to handle all of that water or there must be roots flooding along with soil/sediment. Needs catch basins or maybe a *Vertical Drainage* system

[@ohokayofficial]

15:11 hell yeah!!! That’s what’s up 😎💪🏽

[@makingmusiconline2309]

How did they get approval to build the hill they are on? Bribery? Incompetence by local officials?

[@Tripring2000]

Sounds like Dollar General will be building you a new shop when it is all done. Get you a good lawyer and take them to court. They are definitely in the wrong for allowing their water onto your property l.

[@mmiller1188]

Had this happen at my old house - not a dollar general but new houses. I had to babysit 3 sump pumps in my yard every time it rained and take the day off from work. We ended up selling and buying something else.

[@High12083]

Need to put a 6 foot wall all the way down on your property lines and that should keep the water out and flood Dollar General

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Somebody doesn't know how water works... So why don't you pay "for the wall"?

[@High12083]

@@Look_What_You_Did , you are a freaking A HOLE,

[@angryscottishmechanic848]

I have been thru this type of deal myself. Government officials and or lawyers will take your time and money and give you nothing but frustration in return. Rent a laser if you have a 1/8 per foot drop to that road ditch run 12"culvert along side of your shop then add gutters on the problem side and tie in that sump. I know what I'm describing is not cheap but the lawyers are going to want a 5k retainer to start and IF you get a judgment in your favor a year from now they MIGHT get it fixed 6 months after that or they may not and you get to drop off another retention check and hope another year from then things work out.

[@hunterharrington6490]

Call your local new station. Get you some free advertising and it might put some fire under their ass!

[@chrisbarbour9533]

I had the same thing happened to me to one of my houses but the owner didn't want to do anything because the town was behind him but when I set up a jury trial cities insurance company they were not going to have no part of a jury trial they were more than happy to fix the problem and take care of the damages that's my experience I have been down that road good luck

[@Michigan-thrifter]

Remember your going against a big Corp not a small family business, don't feel bad about a lawsuit.. I'd be so pissed.. Stay strong

[@Boga217]

They simplest best bet I'd say is a concrete ditch probably minimum 12 to 16 inch deep around dollar general on 3 sides draining to the ditch out front.

[@boone7777777777]

It definitely sucks but I think you have a golden opportunity here. Make a rain garden or a cistern. You could get a big rain barrel and find a way to capture it and use the water. I see a water resource if properly managed.

[@ban80]

Just remember that you will likely never recover the fees you spend with an attorney even if you win. Attorneys will lie to you and tell you will recover your fees as part of a settlement or if you win. The truth is fees are rarely awarded. They will tell you they can be recovered. Don't trust them. The attorney will beed you dry. They are going to fight you. Their insurance company is going to fight you.

[@bobmazzi7435]

So, they drove construction equipment over an existing storm drain. And then built over it. I wonder if they checked for easements before siting that building? I wonder if they damaged or cut the drains during construction? For a short term solution, could you build a berm at the property line to prevent their water entering your property? A 5 foot high pile of fill along that side might do it. However, it would run the risk of doing even more harm for the water situation for the back neighbors. Lawyers and engineers are in your future. And probably some major work to repair your building. Drains along the outside perimeter and new slabs at a minimum. Or, find another location?

[@kenpaige990]

In Minnesota it is illegal to change drainage on any land parcel in a way that directs water onto adjoining property.

[@rollingops]

Seems to be that way in any county

[@JD-sh8ub]

They built a Dollar General in my town next door to a salon. The salon is now experiencing the exact same issues you are now.

[@blaynebriceno]

Crazy that there is still such thing as a Dollar General. Im sure real soon it will go under. 99 Cent stores are all closing down. They can't handle the inflation. Hopefully they close down and you get a new and better owner next to you that will work with you.

[@TheFavess]

i woulda lost my shit when i saw taht pipe right next to that fencepost. definatlly would have went the full killdozer you talked about last vid

[@bisness2100]

Having a small business is hard these days. There is no respect for the working man and women. 😢

[@dtc2044]

dude... you seem like a good person being stepped on and just seen your other video earlier today. Lawyer up and you should team up with the neighbour with the fence. Talk with insurance after getting a lawyer up to speed, they may be more enticed to help with your case if they know you have a lawyer involved. You have every right to be upset and doubt I'd handle it any better. Stay chill, its better for your case to walk away because you're in the right for this.

[@psclarke84]

DG just staying blind and mute during all of this while their contractor occasionally puts up a temporary bandaid that actually makes it worse? How did they get approvals for any of that? Running those drains downhill right at your shop is beyond negligent, that's intentional property damage at that point. This is crazy. Hopefully there's some accountability and their forced to make it right.

[@timjenkins4637]

You have ahell of a good lawsuit against the engineers and who ever approved the site plans and gave them a CO! I have been in heavy construction for 49 years and would never have been allowed to do that

[@erictheump]

Find out who does most of the civil engineering work for the county and municipalities in your area. See if you can hire them to examine the site and provide you a written assessment and their opinion on a solution. Local governments tend to trust the their local guy over somebody that $$ Gen would bring in from outside the area. Show the engineer the grade before they built, that to me, looks to be about level with your property. You video of the demolition, "New Dollar Store Wreaks Havoc On My Dumpster Business" about the 12:12 time mark shows this perfectly. They need to find a way to mitigate the water, off their building and parking lot, without putting it on neighboring properties.

[@blazerfox22]

In regards to the depth near the building, I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t account for the fact that the building was being raised. So when they put everything together they put it higher then it was supposed to be

[@nicksjustbored]

Good luck man. This is out of control now. Im with the other poster...if it hurts your case dont post videos, we can all wait until the settlement to hear what happens. This is unreal i couldnt imagine this happening to my shop.

[@airwalwer]

Can you sandbag the building to temporarily block the water? Along the wall and back? Two wide, two high?

[@Eric_Olsen]

Get a pump that comes on automatically with a nozzle aimed at their front door. When the issue is fully fixed and paid for by Dollar General you remove the nozzle and divert the pump.

[@joeaarsen0]

You never store things on bare concrete in a retail situation. Because of flooding potential is never zero. Also, Any moisture in the concrete will wick into anything in contact with it. Pallets also make transport of objects much easier.

[@jeffpistritto9524]

You need a french drain between the two properties to catch the run off from the dollar generals higher grade , they need to run those gutter down spouts into a pipe and drain system under ground either to a cesspool rings under ground or sewer or culvert. If I were you I would also put drains in and a large capacity cesspool on my own property to control standing water .

[@common_c3nts]

Need an open ditch, not a French drain.

[@jeffpistritto9524]

Yes I dont disagree open ditches can handle a larger volume of moving water . But didnt think he wanted a ditch between the properties.

[@AdamRapier]

They’re not cheap but Pig brand spill barrier kits might be helpful to help redirect and contain the water inside the shop if you know where it’s coming in from for another temporary solution. But damn that water is high and a lot of it. But like others have said film everything, get an attorney and file complaint with the city/county and building inspector.

[@LARaised]

Build a dirt levee maybe? In addition to them adding under ground drainage

[@andrewbrenneman9592]

You might have to get with the neighbors and file a lawsuit against Dollar General. Note your time and take pictures of all damages done due to water flooding. Might add the contractor in the lawsuit.

[@dadams5040]

The thing is, you have hours of footage that shows those items on pallets and why those items are on pallets to begin with so that’s pretty easy to prove when they start spreading their lies 😂

[@bobmazzi7435]

Heck, stored goods of any type are on pallets to make them easy to move. You don't see stuff in warehouses stacked on the floor.

[@jacobmiller4928]

You've already seen the fastest way to fix the water problem. You're going to have to do it. Dig a surface ditch and subsurface tile along the property line to the front and rear ditches. Document all costs. Send bill to DG through lawyer. Dig yourself new exterior perimeter French drain

[@tristanmartinez2667]

Building is probably a total loss, foundation compromised.

[@HabilisMan]

Exposed French drain between buildings

[@Look_What_You_Did]

How does that word salad taste?

[@antonyjharper31]

They destroyed your shop! The slab is going to sink and break up!

[@bullrun1]

The water they diverted onto your property was an illegal diversion which caused harm and damage - they are responsible legally - file suit for damages, repair and etc. don’t like being litigious but sometimes it’s a necessity. Wishing you luck. A good attorney will have this moving along much quicker than on your own.

[@stevecrane1125]

I can't believe the building department approved the site plan for the Dollar General. There was no way your property was not going to be affected when they approved the elevation plan. Water runs downhill to the lowest spot. Call the zoning inspector and tell him if he doesn't help with this problem you will file suit against everyone involved.

[@zart3374]

Money…

[@BrianWeber-gt4ho]

Probably no permit or money under table

[@silentepsilon888]

in my county and city ordinances it is clearly stated that no property is allowed to drain their water runoff from rain onto an adjacent property under any circumstances. I would strongly suggest your lawyer look into city and county ordinances to see how water drainage from properties is regulated in your area.I would then demand that Dollar General create a (4ft tall) retaining wall along the entire property that is built to their new height level and backfill all of their currently sloped areas to that level, then run proper french drains all around that perimeter wall to catch runoff and seepage and direct it into their own drainage system.

[@amunderdog]

I thought storm water management, was part of the building permit process these days.

[@darangemaster1]

It is unlawful to alter the grade of a property so the water runs on somebody else’s what they have done is exactly that not only the roof water but the ground water that naturally occurs when it rains also drains onto your property way to mitigate this is for them to put a Wall between you and them that’s higher or their building grade so they can direct the water elsewhere. They also need to excavate your drain line at your property line and extend it to the back of the property so that it can drain out the back where it once was.

[@danz409]

keeping stuff on a palleit is just common since. ANYBODY in ANY shop is going to keep anything on pallets if anything for the simple fact its easy to move on top of the just in case it does flood factor.

[@BS.-.-]

The DG arnt built the same way everywhere. There are 2 in my town. One is built with a large retention pond, bigger than the parking lot and the other with nothing..there 1mi from each other. I think you really need to have a conversation with the town department who approved there storm water run off plan.

[@BUFORD-T]

WTH really. That is a load of crap dude. Go to your county planning, building permit or mapping department. Get a copy of the site plans, engineering plans and storm water run off plans. Then find someone WELL educated in commercial architectural engineering pay them to study plans vs what was done. Then get an attorney, have him meet with you and the engineer and develop a plan to sue. If it goes to court you now have a SME (subject matter expert) that is very familiar with the case and can be declared an expert witness. Winner winner chicken dinner. They will settle before the end of court and the sky is the limit sir. I speak from experience.

[@86JonJones]

rebuild 5 feet above them . i know it cost money but its worth it

[@TheSoloAsylum]

Dig a ditch between the properties to the front ditch.

[@drooplug]

When time is of the essence, you cant wait for others to fix it for you. If they arent telling you that theyve hired professionals to come out to your property to do x, y, and z within am hour of calling, you gotta take action. Even if they had the best of intentions, they have levels of bureaucracy that wont get it done in a timely fashion. I've learned the hard way that people will often slow walk you while holding a carrot iut in frint as if they are going to make good and they never do.

[@Jeff-yu9vf]

Shame on your town/county engineer that reviewed and approved the plans with no regard to runoff.

[@chucksterock]

My understanding is it's illegal to direct runoff from your property onto your neighbor. Time to lawyer up.

[@ronlard2012]

Get the city inspector involved, that is fucked. Get a lawsuit written up by a lawyer

[@dragnardrake8633]

if your dealing with a corpration, just lawyer up right away. They will do their best to cut their losses as much as possible. pointing blame is often what they like to do.

[@LittleJunkers]

Dude, that really sucks. I agree with some of the comments. 1. Keep documenting and stop posting about it until you consult a lawyer. This isn’t DG’s first rodeo and if the neighbors are impacted as well, this could be bigger than you and you don’t want anything you post to be used against you. 2. You’re going to have to spend some money to save your business. At this point the strategy is going to be to wait you out and hope you run out of money and go away. You’ll need a ditch between you and the DG to keep water away from your building and you’ll need a pump in the two drains out back to divert water to the drains in front of the building. Keep the receipts as part of the claim against DG. 3. You’ll need to find a home for the stuff in your shop until this is worked out. Now that it’s documented publicly that the shop has flooded multiple times, after this it’s a known problem and future damages may be denied. Include the expense of moving and remote storage as part of the claim. Good luck my man! I hope this doesn’t break you. You are a true gift to the business and your content has helped me get started. I would hate to see this be the straw, so to speak!

[@frozenfingers5867]

Imagine how bad it would be if that company was still renting that side of the shop

[@rollingops]

Yea, that would have been a massive disaster

[@Shelton_47]

May be a silly question but as a temporary help even if it’s out of pocket how come the drains haven’t been unblocked. I would have done that day 1 out of pocket and definitely charged them if possible. Best of luck though hope it starts going your way

[@rollingops]

We definitely attempted that ourselves thinking the blockage was right at the drain itself. But I didn't have a snake long enough to realize that nothing we were attempting would work either way because the concrete post was put through the storm drain.

[@woTrainingWheelz]

French drain/swell is needed at min. Get with the neighbors and an attorney. Do not wait for them, they will keep pushing it out with excuses. If they wanted to fix it give them a deadline, month max, and have a contractor already lined up they need to go thru.

[@lelghericboyers5821]

Getting the water out of your business in your own will make that near impossible to recover. Hire it done if you can afford it. Than you can sue for recovery. I think in most courts you can do what is reasonable to protect your property and sue for recovery. Thst might even include putting a "french" drain all the way down your property line that drains to the storm system at the street. It's attorney work and you need to seek advice quickly. Don't be too concerned about what's noble or what feels honorable. Do everything necessary to recover full unhindered use of your business and property. Co op with the other effected neihhbors as much as possible without negative impact on your business You have been done exyreme wrong and you tend to let things roll off your back. It's not just you. It's an entity called your business also.

[@user-en7un3ln1b]

When it freezes next year it's gonna get worse! The water under your floor will be a problem!

[@lebotnov66]

You need to sue the city/county/state (Whoever approved the plans) and also, in a separate suit, Dollar General. If you filed only one lawsuit, then either set of lawyers could delay everything.

[@benjaminkline7301]

At this point ....one word Attorney. I myself would not want to go that far. But given youre past with them....well what else???

[@toddv9210]

Clear the drains and install a sediment filter ASAP. Your chasing your tail here until you do. Document everything especially the effect on your slab and damage to your property.

[@akshonclip]

Do not rely on them to fix it. You need to mitigate it yourself and then send them the bill. If they don’t pay then get an attorney involved.

[@NotAnotherArtVideo]

Make sure to contact a few different kinds of experts. People don't know what they don't know. There's no one person that will have the ability to pick the best solution. I don't see how they would be able to fix it on their property - short of leveling the store and removing the fill. I don't like how DG develops. Near me, they build a store (or it was built for them) right up against a lake. There were a lot of ducks, because it is a lake. So many that they would frequently block the door. This was the bank they lived and nested on. Someone rounded them all up and dropped them off somewhere else. Most of them passed away (cars, etc.) trying to make it back. I did not see it happen, but I do know the store did not like all the poop and the blocking of the door. The land was much too small to build a store, they actually built a mound on the very steep bank of the lake and plopped a store on it.

[@koaaloha7461]

Keep in mind if I remember correctly, they wanted you to move…

[@AllenRobberson]

Listen, I am a civil engineer and what needs to be done. Is there needs to be a ditch on their property running from the back of the property to the front of the property that way all the water that comes off of their property will drain into the ditch and then drain to the front of the property, and it needs to be lined with something to make it waterproof so that it doesn’t see water into the ground

[@stogashawn4724]

Very Sad to see Decision to Build Dollar General that much higher than you're building. your slab is ruined. waste of money time to try to make it worth keeping that location. Need to go to Court. make them a deal to buy you out! Good Luck.

[@NinjaTenK]

a retaining wall might work since they made it higher off the ground

[@rhynesballterrium4369]

I would definitely contact an attorney and keep recording evidence!

[@Tunergeek]

Cant wait to see the new building they are going to have to build you lol! Take them all the way man, they disrespected their new neighbors from the start.

[@ianbelletti6241]

Business damages can quickly run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Definitely get a lawyer involved even if it's for no other reason than ensuring you are keeping proper records of the damages.

[@jacobbuckley8232]

A french drain between the buildings would definetly help

[@badillostyle]

That sucks man

[@matthewholzinger1042]

Also contact the city/town. And you may need to go to the county.

[@Offroadcitylife]

next thing is you shop will get totaled from this whole ordeal because all of that water under the slab has made it unstable for your structure

[@codgump2012]

DG would have to make a ditch on the edge of their property to solve the flooding issue

[@jamiealite]

I would be suing them that’s for sure. Poor engineering

[@mike.walker]

truckloads of dirt to make a nice berm on the property line - to keep the water on their side

[@Irilia_neko]

It's never the fault of the corporate, it's always the fault of the small business. And yes they don't care it's way less expensive for them to not do anything, it's how corporate work

[@chucksterock]

I will say it again is LAWYER UP. Get the other neighbors on board and do it together.