SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After nearly two weeks since a storm flooded their homes on Beta Street, neighbors are coming together to talk about potential legal action against the City of San Diego.
Angela Hampton, one of the affected residents, said she had to swim through floodwaters with her two dogs. Now, as a civil defense attorney, she is taking on the role of educating neighbors about their legal rights.
"There are firms and attorneys going door to door trying to sign people up,” said Hampton. “What I can offer my neighbors is just some guidance on what certain legal terms mean and what maybe is the best option to take."
Meanwhile, law firms are taking part in the conversation. A group of attorneys has set up a camp on Greg Montoya's front lawn, urging residents to file claims through their firm before the deadline. Montoya hired one of them in 2019 after a separate storm flooded his home.
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“Hopefully out of this the city will start taking this area seriously,” Montoya said.
Walking through his backyard, Montoya pointed to a canal and said it was the source of flooding in the Southcrest neighborhood.
“I have a lot of documentation telling them, you need to clean the storm drains,” he said.
Montoya plans to hire the same attorney for another lawsuit against the city, while Hampton is organizing community meetings with other firms to provide neighbors with information about their legal options.
“We’re all still living here. We’re going to rebuild, and we need to make sure if this ever happens again, then we’re protected,” Hampton said.
