BILLERICA, Mass. — A Billerica couple is throwing their retirement money into a hole, and not as a figure of speech.
A massive sinkhole in their driveway is growing bigger every day, and they say they have no recourse.
“The attitude has become buyer beware, but how can a buyer beware when something is hidden from view so they have no idea what’s going on until after a cavity opens up?” Dave Chopourian told FOX25.
The hole is more than 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and 5 feet deep, but every day it grows a little more.
The couple worries if it’s not covered up before winter, it could end up costing a lot more than the current estimate of $8,000 to repair.
To make matters worse, contractors say the price could go up depending on what they find.
Several years ago, the Chopourians’ garage began sinking. When a contractor repaired, they found the foundation had been built on tree stumps and trash, the Chopourians said.
“Were in a situation where the contractor is not responsible, the town is not responsible, and were left holding the bag for many thousands of dollars,” Chopourian said.
Chopourian said the town issued the construction permits for the home 40 years ago, but didn’t oversee the project, and because it’s been so long, the contractor’s liability term is up. His goal is to have a law enacted to help other homeowners who may end up in the same position.
“All things that are preventing us from doing the things we wanted to do by the time we retired, we couldn’t do them,” Chopourian told FOX25.