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Longwood residents frustrated after extension given to woman accused of causing flooding

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Published  July 23, 2024 8:40pm EDT
Seminole County
FOX 35 Orlando

Extension for woman accused of causing flooding

Longwood residents said they are tired of flooding issues. Neighbors in the Shadow Bay subdivision are upset that a woman accused of pouring concrete in a drain has been given an extension to address the problem.

LONGWOOD, Fla. - Residents in Longwood are expressing frustration over ongoing flooding issues, which they attribute to a neighbor who allegedly filled a storm drain with cement.

The neighbor, Diane Goglas, is accused of filling two manholes and a broken pipe with concrete to address erosion on her property, leading to flooding problems in the Shadow Bay community.

"This is crazy," said one resident in a video shared with FOX 35 News, highlighting the extent of the flooding.

Homeowners are upset that Seminole County has given Goglas more time to resolve the issue.

"I am very concerned that this decision to extend benefits the person who essentially vandalized the outflow pipe and doesn't consider the other 113 homeowners in the association," said homeowner Jennell Taylor.

Goglas reportedly filled the nearby storm drain in March, claiming a drain pipe was installed on her property without permission. The drain was sealed in April, and flooding issues for the neighborhood began shortly after.

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"It rains, and the water sits there. It does not drain out of the roadways, and it goes into the yards," said neighbor Sallie Spires.

In response to the flooding, residents have placed sandbags in front of garages and installed "No Wake Zone" signs to prevent vehicles from pushing floodwater into yards.

Code Enforcement initially gave Goglas until Monday to fix the issue but extended the deadline to Aug. 7 to complete a title search on the property. If unresolved, the matter will go before a magistrate.

Shadow Bay’s Homeowners Association (HOA) is suing Goglas. The HOA criticized the extension, stating, "We do not understand why Code Enforcement believes another 15 days are going to make a difference. We do not understand why the courts will not grant us an emergency hearing. We are doing everything we can to prevent water intrusion in our residents’ homes, and we do not understand why no one else has any sense of urgency."

Goglas declined an interview but stated she is preparing for litigation. The court date for the case is set for September.