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NKY family blames Altafiber for sewage issue that caused damage to their home. They now want compensation.

Altafiber Issues Cold Spring
Posted at 7:23 PM, Jun 02, 2023
and last updated 2023-06-02 19:23:18-04

COLD SPRING, Ky. — Sewage on the floor soaking through the walls and carpet.

That is what one Cold Spring family had to deal with, and they say Altafiber is to blame.

Rhonda and Joe Tignor say Altafiber contractors cut through the center of their sewage line when installing fiber optic cables in January.

The Cold Spring, Kentucky, family tells me they had to tear everything out of the lower level of their home. They're almost done rebuilding, but it's going to cost them about $5,000 out of pocket.

"We certainly hope they'll reimburse us for the inconvenience and money we've had to spend," Joe Tigner said.

The Tignor's basement flooded with sewage.

"I could see that the carpet was wet and there was some feces on the floor," he said.

They had to tear everything out of two bedrooms, the family room and a bathroom.

Nearly 4 months later, they're almost finished with the repairs, but Altafiber hasn't paid for any of it.

"It just seems like they shouldn't be able to do this and get away with it, they should be held accountable," Rhonda Tigner said.

Altafiber provided the following statement:

"Altafiber is committed to providing every address and neighborhood in Greater Cincinnati with access to fiber-enabled gigabit Internet. We are currently in the process of completing our fiber build in Greater Cincinnati, which includes burying fiber in many neighborhoods. We expect to pass another 100,000 addresses with fiber in 2023. We have been actively engaged in the process to resolve this situation with the homeowner and their insurance provider. We apologize for the disruption to this resident, and understand the importance of minimizing disruptions to the public as we complete the fiber build. When problems do occur, we are committed to making things right."

Since last August, WCPO has been reporting on issues people have faced as a result of Altafiber's installation of fiber optic cables.

Since then, people from Liberty Township, Deerfield Township, Hebron, Florence and West Chester have all reached out saying they had a similar experience with Altafiber.

The Tignor's say Altafiber told them they will be unable to evaluate a claim until all repairs are finished.

"They need to have something done so that if it does happen again to somebody, that they are held responsible to fix it right away," Rhonda Tignor said. "We should not have had to come up with $5,000 out of our pocket when they were the ones that caused this mess."

READ MORE:
'It is frustrating': Liberty Township family without internet, blaming Altafiber for damage
People across Tri-State blame Altafiber for major issues in their neighborhoods
West Chester residents say Altafiber has created a 'nightmare' in their neighborhood