We're following through on this story:
- WCPO 9 first reported on one woman's costly sidewalk repair bill from the City of Cincinnati.
- Now, the city's changing the cost.
CINCINNATI — A Bond Hill homeowner's costs to repair her damaged sidewalk were cut nearly in half after WCPO 9 recently shared her story.
Lorenda Johnson moved into her home late last year. In January, she received an emergency notice on her door saying she needs to repair her sidewalk. The city estimated the cost of the repairs at about $2,800.
Johnson said she had no idea that the condition of the sidewalk was her responsibility.
According to the city code, Cincinnati homeowners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalk in front of their homes.
Johnson reached out to us to share her story and warn other homeowners about the city code.
“I seen it, and I thought that it was the city’s property," Johnson said at the time. "I had no idea that that would ever fall on me, none.”
Four days after our story aired, Johnson received an updated notice from the city, which cut her estimated costs down to about $1,600.
WATCH: Hear what changed with Johnson's new sidewalk assessment
Comparing the two notices, it seems the city removed a couple of the sidewalk repairs they originally said Johnson was responsible for. The notice also extended her deadline to get the work done by nearly a year.
"This is working out, I can deal with this," Johnson said.
We wanted to know exactly why Johnson's estimated costs dropped, so we reached out to the city.
The city's Engineering Technician Supervisor said the city reevaluated Johnson's property after she reached out to them.
We also asked if Johnson would have potentially had to pay for repairs she wasn't responsible for if the city never came back out to reevaluate the damage. We are waiting to hear back on that answer.
Johnson still has to pay for the repairs, but said the adjusted cost will help.
"It's not perfect, but it makes it doable," Johnson said.
Residents who receive notices to repair their sidewalk have a few options to fix the problem. They can:
- Hire a licensed contractor to fix it
- Attempt to repair it individually
- Allow the city to repair it for the estimated cost
Johnson said she's thankful for our reporting and to the city for taking another look at her situation.
She said she still hopes other homeowners view her story as a warning to be aware of the city code.
"It made a difference," Johnson said. "Just look out for that."
WCPO 9's Alex Null covers the east side. If you have a story that you'd like Alex to look into or a news tip, email him at alex@wcpo.com.
