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Port Jervis senior asks city to ‘do the right thing’ after allegedly destroying her garage during nearby repairs

The Port Jervis homeowner, who is 83-years-old, and her daughter say the city performed work on an old clay pipe that ran beside the garage in 2015 and accessed their property on East View Place to do the repairs.

Blaise Gomez

Nov 17, 2022, 10:15 PM

Updated 764 days ago

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Erika and Irene Klostermeier say their garage was there one day and gone the next.
The Port Jervis homeowner residents say the city did work on an old clay pipe that ran beside the garage in 2015 and accessed their property on East View Place to do the repairs.
“Literally rang her doorbell and said, ‘Old lady, move your car. If you don’t like it, get an attorney,’” said Erika Klostermeier, who is 85 years old.
The Klostermeiers say they started to notice problems within weeks. First with a part of their driveway where city workers parked heavy machinery – and then inside the garage where they found a large crack that turned into a sinkhole.
“When doing the work, they took out the footings of her garage and the bottom of her foundation and they wouldn’t take any accountability,” said Irene Klostermeier.
The women say the city sent crews to fix her driveway but never took responsibility for the damage to her garage that eventually had to be torn down as a result.
They tried suing, but because they didn’t know to file a formal grievance for the damages within three months, their claim was denied.
The women say they have so far spent $60,000 on repairs and legal fees, and don’t have any more money to spend.
“I have an elderly mother for the last seven years who has been tortured and agonized,” said Irene Klostermeier. “My mother had a nervous breakdown because when she sits on her porch, she sees what her property looks like.”
The Klostermeiers say they want an apology and their garage back.
Port Jervis Mayor Kelly Decker says the homeowner's claims were disputed in court, and that the judge found the city is not responsible for damages.