North Miami homeowner sues neighbors over land changes causing flooding
MIAMI - A North Miami homeowner is suing neighboring property owners, accusing them of failing to manage stormwater runoff that she says has repeatedly flooded her yard and home.
Eileen Bicaba, who has lived in her home since 1994, said flooding was never an issue until around 2018. Since then, she has documented at least 30 instances of water overrunning her property.
"If you are outside and it floods, you can't get back. If you're inside and it floods, you can't get out," Bicaba said.
Land changes and trees removal
She blames three neighboring properties, arguing that changes to the land have made it impossible for rainwater to stay contained.
"The instant they removed the trees, elevated the land and started bringing in gravel, we started flooding," she said.
One of the properties was cited by the city on Dec. 23, 2024, for deficient water drainage and retention systems. The city ordered the owner to bring the property into compliance by the end of January of this year and said it remains in contact with them about fixing the problem.
Bicaba's lawsuit claims the property owners "failed to create adequate drainage for stormwater and allowed and forced stormwater to flow onto the plaintiff's home."
CBS News Miami reached out to representatives for the defendants listed in the lawsuit, but either received no response or a refusal to comment.
Seeking $75,000 in damages
Bicaba's attorney, Raul Gastesi, said they are still determining the full extent of each defendant's role.
"We're not 100% clear on the role of each of the three defendants. We believe they all had a role in developing or owning the parcels," Gastesi said.
Bicaba is seeking $75,000 in damages and wants the land corrected to prevent further flooding.
"We can't do anything. It's constant anxiety every time it rains," she said.
A spokesperson for the city of North Miami said officials are aware of Bicaba's situation and have a project planned to improve stormwater management on her street.
The city is also conducting a citywide study to update its stormwater master plan.
