- A Chicago man is frustrated after years of semi-trucks damaging his home
- Robert Christie lives near a low-clearance bridge, trucks reverse into his home
- Despite city-installed barriers and warning signs, the city cited him for not repairing the damage to his home including a roof and metal fence
A Chicago man may be forced to move out of his prized bungalow after enduring years of semi-trucks backing into his home and causing damage.
Robert Christie lives near a low-clearance bridge, and yet despite the crossing having plenty of warning signs, many truck drivers don’t seem to realize until the last minute, forcing them to make awkward U-turns in the middle of the road.
He says the vehicles are so enormous that they bash into his house when they reverse and frequently cause damage.
The property’s fence has been knocked over and he says trucks collide with areas of the home’s exterior, including the beige brickwork and guttering.
Despite city-installed barriers and warning signs, the city cited him for not repairing the damage to his home including a roof, guttering and a metal fence
Robert Christie lives near a low-clearance bridge which sees trucks making a U-turn and suddenly reversing into his home
Christie says he has counted around 200 incidents over the last 10 years alone.
Despite the issue being no fault of his own, Christie, 55, who has owned his bungalow since 2003, has been cited several times by the city for not repairing the damage to his house.
Now Christie is considering whether it’s all worth it and is on the cusp of leaving the property for good and reluctantly thinking about selling.
When asked by the Chicago Sun Times if he really wanted to move out, he was hesitant: ‘Not really, but if the price is right.’
Robert Christie estimates there’ve been 200 incidents over the last ten years causing damage
The semi-trucks are so large that when they make a u-turn they frequently hit the home
A letter from the Department of Buildings to Christie states: ‘The department considers such alleged violations as continuing on each succeeding day after the inspection date, until evidence has been brought to the department showing that such violations have been properly corrected.’
A spokesperson for the department has since said that no action will be taken against Christie.
‘There is no enforcement action pending and no risk of fines or penalties,’ said Michael Puccinelli, although he noted a citation might actually help him sue for damages from drivers who crash into the property.
He has installed surveillance cameras on the exterior of his home in order to record any accidents on camera in order to have evidence when trying to make claims against trucking companies.
Photos from the last ten years rarely show a time when there wasn’t some sort of damage
It costs between $2,500 and $7,300 each time to have the damage to the home repaired
Despite having repaired his roof and gutters several times at a cost of between $2,500 and $7,300, Christie wants to see the city install concrete barriers instead.
The city has previously installed ‘bump outs’ which are raised concrete sections of the road designed to narrow it and deter trucks from reversing down his street.
Extra signs were also put up to warn drivers of the impending danger – but it seems to have made little difference. He believes it is only a matter of time before another collision occurs.
