Woman, PennDOT argue over who pays for $8K in damage

CLYMER, Pa. — A family in Clymer is looking for answers after they said a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation snowplow caused $8,000 in damage to their house months ago.

Kathie Johns told Channel 11 News that PennDOT trucks clear snow from the her home’s road near Route 286. But on Feb. 4, a plow sent snow crashing into her home, barely missing her and her daughter.

“We just heard the crash and that’s when it hit and took all this out. It knocked my paper box down and just kept on going. It never stopped,” Johns said. “Had it been two minutes sooner, we would have been hit with all that glass and snow that came into the house.”

According to Johns, she has exchange several letters with PennDOT officials about who will pay for the damage. Eventually, PennDOT denied her claim allegedly because her house sits on the state’s right of way. The state claims the right of way extends to utility poles that cross Johns’ house.

“It angers me in the sense that they damaged my house. I have to live in it like this and they are refusing to fix it,” Johns said. “All I want is for them to do the right thing and just pay and fix my house.”

PennDOT officials told Channel 11 News they will look into the matter and the right of way issue.

WPXI