State A-G Files Lawsuit Against Cortlandville Landowner for Cemetery Flooding Wednesday, November 19, 2014 State A-G Files Lawsuit Against Cortlandville Landowner for Cemetery Flooding The New York State Attorney General is suing a local property owner for causing flooding that damaged St. Marys Cemetery forcing bodies to be dug up and moved. State attorney general Eric Schneiderman has filed a lawsuit against James Stevens III of Cortlandville. Stevens owns property that borders the cemetery located on Route 281. In 2012 Stevens is accused of making changes to his property that that diverted a large amount of storm water into the Cemetery and onto Route 281. The lawsuit says prior to the work 120 acres worth of storm water drained away from the cemetery and the highway, after the work all that water was channeled into the property. Stevens never obtained any permits are had engineering work done in connection with his project. The D-E-C contacted Stevens last year and told him he needed a permit for the work and faced fines. In May of this year the heavy storm water run-off caused erosion that forced the cemetery to disinter four bodies and move them. The erosion threatened additional graves as well. The lawsuit cities reports from the Catholic Cemeteries of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, which owns St. Mary’s Cemetery, stating that the storm water discharges significantly eroded the cemetery and grave sites covering them with debris and mud. During one particularly severe flood in July 2013, monuments were knocked over and headstones were buried, Prosecutors are asking the Court to force Stevens to fix the problem, in addition he faces fines and civil penalties if hes found guilty.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 14:34:28 +0000
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