Hillsdale Resident Sues Borough Over Storm Damage

A Hillsdale resident is seeking $33,000 in a lawsuit against the borough for damage caused by a storm in August.

Yourik Atakhanian said that a heavy rainstorm last August caused storm drains to overflow and sent water streaming down his hillside property, damaging retaining walls, a walkway, trees, a fence and the interior of a poolside cabana.

"I couldn't believe when I saw it," Atakhanian said.

Estimates for repairing the damage came to more than $30,000, according to Atakhanian.

The borough had installed an asphalt bump on the end of Atakhanian's driveway several years ago because water from the street had been flowing onto his property. The bump did not stop water during the August storm, he said.

"The town did not protect my driveway from heavy rain," Atakhanian wrote in his complaint, which was filed November 13.

Hillsdale Mayor Max Arnowitz did not immediately return calls for comment.

The Atakhanian property was not the only area damaged during that storm. Nearby on Melville Road, water tore up large chunks of pavement, causing the street to remain closed for several weeks until repairs could be made. On Wierimus Road, which sits below the back of the Atakhanian home, four cars got stuck in flood water that rose several feet as it flowed down the hill.

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