Residents of flood-prone S.F. areas sue city

Residents of San Francisco neighborhoods notorious for flooding have filed a lawsuit against the city, saying lack of maintenance on antiquated storm drains and sewage systems led to property damage during December rainstorms.

The plaintiffs, nearly 50 property owners and businesses in the city’s Mission Terrace, Mission District, Excelsior and South of Market neighborhoods, say city officials knew about the drainage problems in those areas but failed to make significant repairs to the system — despite a similar lawsuit stemming from 2003 and 2004 winter storms that ended in a more than $5 million payout.

Not only did the city represent several years ago that it was in the process of fixing this problem so it would not happen again, just this past December Mayor (Ed) Lee stood on the sidewalk in front of my clients’ homes and told them point blank that the city was sorry that this happened yet again and that the city was going to pay for their damages and make things right.

According to the lawsuit, the city said crews would upgrade or repair drainage and sewage systems after the floods of 2003 and 2004.

[...] they did not, Epstein said, and instead the city improved systems “upstream” of these neighborhoods while allowing “silt, sediment and debris” to obstruct catch basins downstream.