Jury: City Must Pay Indiana Couple $102K for Flood Damage

A jury has ordered a northern Indiana city to pay a couple more than $102,000 for flood damage their home suffered nearly a decade ago.

Richard and Janet Brown sued the city of Valparaiso after 18 inches of floodwater entered their home in September 2008, leaving them with more than $91,000 in out-of-pocket damages.

Their complaint argued the city caused the flooding by damming the area’s natural drainage when a retention pond was installed several years after their home was built.

The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports a jury sided with the couple, awarding them the full amount they’d sought.

Valparaiso’s attorneys argued, in part, that the rain in question exceeded the retention pond’s capacity and that flooding from the same storm affected 180 other city residents.