CBS4 Helps Homeowner Following Runaround From CenturyLink, Contractor

DENVER (CBS4) - A Denver homeowner says he was facing thousands of dollars of damage and blame was being passed around after CenturyLink dug through his sewage line causing his basement to flood.

Homeowner Clark Yeh contacted CBS4 and says he's been given the runaround for months.

The problem began in January when Yeh says he had an overflowing toilet. Plumbers sent a camera down his sewage line and it hit a dark black barricade. More than $3,000 worth of excavation later and a CenturyLink pipe was found to be causing the problem.

"There's some drywall damage. We just by happenstance came downstairs; we saw first one episode, we got out buckets … and then we started hearing and seeing other drips," Yeh said.

On two separate occasions Yeh's home had major flooding because his sewer line was backed up. Estimates place the damage at more than $10,000.

"Our big concern is that they're estimating based on what they can see, and we're hoping that there's nothing else," Yeh said.

It took weeks to figure out the problem, until it was discovered a CenturyLink cable had cut his sewage pipe.

"If they weren't digging through the area then we would never have had any floods," Yeh said.

But after two months Yeh still footed the bill with no help in sight.

"Three times their executive office told me, 'We're not liable,' " Yeh said. "They're saying they are not on the hook -- that another party, these contractors are on the hook."

CBS started working on Yeh story Tuesday morning when he said he felt like he was getting passed around "like a hot potato." Within an hour of the story airing on CBS4 News at 6 two representatives from a subcontractor and a representative from CenturyLink contacted Yeh at his home and told him that they would resolve the issue immediately.

Yeh said he wished he was treat like that from the beginning.