'I Haven't Slept, I'm Not Eating,' Says Homeowner Planning Legal Action After Crane Falls On Fort Lauderdale Home
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A woman whose Fort Lauderdale home was severely damaged when a crane fell on it last week is planning on taking legal action.
Heather Riggs is still trying to come to grips with what happened to her home. "I was in disbelieve, I was in shell shock and I was disgusted all at once," Heather said.
Friday police bodycam video shows the moment a huge crane toppled over, landing right across her roof. "I haven't slept, I'm not eating, I have a lot of emotional issues here. I don't know what the next step for me to do," she said.
Heather and her mom were out of town when it happened. Her son had been staying there but was away when the crane tipped over.
Heather is grateful no one was hurt, or worse. "I'm so thankful for the fire department that saved my animals. I'm thankful for my son being at work on not on the couch because if you see the inside of the house my son would have been decapitated," Heather said.
With her house covered with a tarp to stop more damage, Heather is staying with family for the moment.
"Right now I'm in limbo," she said. "I have no home, no place to go, I have no clothes, I am literally living out of my suburban with bins of rain-soaked clothes. I don't know what to do next," she said.
The fire department said this began when a neighbor was having a shed lifted into place and the ground gave way.
The subcontractor of the crane company called "On the Spot" released a statement saying in part, "The customer advised that there was no septic tank, thus making it safe to park in the driveway but there was in fact a septic tank. The ground became unstable."
The Fort Lauderdale Code Department is investigating the situation.
Meanwhile, Heather plans to take legal action as she works to get her home back in order.
