Bob Talham Inc.

To summarize the issue with [redacted]. A sewer line had been installed and was not correctly compacted, furthermore causing a leak of some sort and washout in the ground. The driveway was paved close two 2 months after the line was installed. About three weeks later the customer called us in...

regards to a crack in her driveway, which we addressed immediately. At the time we brought up the fact that it looked as though it has to do with the new sewage line underground, and perhaps there a leak. The line was not compacted correctly by those who installed it. Had the issue not been from the sewer line when we were paving he driveway out equipment and machines would have sunken as well. I have offered to come and remeasnre the area and send an estimate to repair the damage caused by the sewer line. I believe this is an issue that should be taken up with these who installed the line.Thanks Katie [redacted]

Revdex.com:I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Please note:  There is, and has never been a leak in the new sewer line.  I had line inspected at their suggestion, by The City of Troy, who determined it was not leaking.  We have not had any trouble with the new line; anything Talham says about a leak is NOT TRUE.We also had a tree come down at the other end of the driveway (more than 100 feet from the sinkhole) and I called and asked Talham for an estimate for the insurance company for repair.  Their reply to my complaint to the NYS Attorney General's office stated that the sinkhole was caused by a tree falling on the driveway.A Talham estimator looked at the driveway prior to paving and assured me we only we had to wait two weeks for the earth to settle.  They paved four weeks later, and the sinking occurred after that. The paving crew manager told me, after he looked at the sinking, that he, "Would have waited a year," to pave over the sewer line.  Why did they say two weeks was sufficient, then?  We paid them $4300 for bad advice.Their "offer" to me is to pay them to fix the work.Thanks for any help you can give me.Regards,[redacted]

This letter is in response to complaint ID [redacted]. The homeowner has noted that they had the sewer line checked by the city of Troy and there was no leak to cause the sinkhole. As I pointed out in the previous letter, another possibility was that the ground around the sewer line was not compacted sufficiently which could have caused the sinkhole. ihe sinkhole originated under the stone that we lay before installing the driveway. At the time of installation everything seemed to be settled, we drove heavy machinery over the line and it did not cave in. Unfortunately, three weeks later the line itself sunk causing everything above it to sink as well. This being said we believe the blame should .be put on the company that installed the line for not compacting the earth properly around the line. We have offered to fix the driveway at the expense of the homeowner but we are not willing to take responsibility for the sinkhole. Sincerely, Katie [redacted]