ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A woman said this was the first time in nine years that she paid the city to turn off her water while she went on vacation and it'll be her last after coming home to water damage and no one taking accountability.
"You pay to have it off, you expect it to stay off," Judy Wendland said.
The Wendlands said they're still paying for their vacation by cleaning up a mess inside their laundry room that they didn't create.
"I have to replace the flooring, I have to replace the cabinet and I have to replace the sink," Wendland said.
Judy Wendland said on Aug. 12 she paid the city $30 to shut off her water.
"This year they were putting in a new water main in town. I don't want to take any chances," she said.
On July 1, Wendland said a city worker tested her water by turning it on but never turned it off.
"My pest control came in on August 19, almost 50 days later and stepped into my laundry room and into a puddle of water. Water was everywhere," she said.
Wendland said water overflowed her deep sink and onto the floor. She showed News 6 pictures from her insurance adjuster that showed them bringing in professional dryers and all the damage the water left behind.
"I got a water stain mark about a foot and a half up the wall," she said.
A city worker inspected the damage, Wendland then pulled and read her contract and bid. She submitted all her paperwork to city officials and wanted the city to pay $1,070 back to cover her deductible and water shut off and on fee. However, the city denied her claim.
"The city absolutely has to pay," she said.
"No, we will not be willing to do that," said Dale Arrington, city manager.
Arrington said meter records showed only one day where Wedland's water was turned on during her time away and it was on July 29.
"Thirteen gallons of water flowed onto her side of the water meter that particular day and that is because we were doing a little bit of testing in the area, and that's not even enough to fill a 20-gallon laundry tub," Arrington said.
"The city has a list of who's on vacation status. The city should have been looking at that list before hooking up anybody's water," Wendland said.
The city manager said if Wendland has additional information supporting her claim, they'd be happy to take a look.