Homeowners say blasting to build subdivision left damage to homes that the company refuses to fix

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb homeowners said damage like bent beams and cracks in their foundations started appearing after land blasting from a nearby development went on for several months.

Investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln was in Lithonia, where the developers claim the damage isn’t their fault because the homes are located outside of the blast radius. But homeowners are not convinced when they are only a few steps away from where the blasting was taking place.

Dawn Rayford said the rumblings she felt and heard in the Sierra Highlands subdivision between March and June seemed like something out of a movie. Contractors for the new D.R.. Horton subdivision started blasting underground stone, rattling nearby homes.

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“I thought earthquake,” Rayford said. “It wasn’t an earthquake. This would happen at least 24 more times. It’s literally a Stone Mountain back there.”

Rayford and neighbors said that since the blasting, they’ve noticed cracks forming in their driveways and foundations. Rayford snapped a picture of horizontal cracks forming in her living room and bent beams in her basement.

She said the insurance company representing D.R. Horton has denied any liability, leaving it up for homeowners to pay for repairs.

“I feel betrayed,” Rayford said.

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The company sent Channel 2 Action News a statement, reading.

“All reference blasting was done in compliance with state regulations and executed in accordance with industry practices and safety guidelines. All of these homes are located outside the applicable blast radius of concern or zone of impact, and there is no evidence correlating the blasting activities with the problems identified by homeowners.”

Rayford said she needs the company help fix her and her neighbors’ homes.

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“You have enough information to do the right thing. Right now, today,” Rayford said.

Homeowners said the county told them that the contractors did not have proper permits at the time of the blasting.

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