I probably need your help.

So I have this little problem. It's called, "Some Assholes Altered the Drainage Ditch Behind My House and Caused it to Flood Two Weeks Ago and I'm Getting Nowhere." There used to be some railroad tracks that ran straight behind my house and someone decided it was a great idea to convert them into part of the walking trail. So the railroad company (Norfolk Southern) hired some apparently stupid contractors (Allstate something or other in GA) to take up the tracks. Well, they did. But they left cross-ties in the ditch and also a piece of machinery broken down in my yard for over a week - which collapsed the ditch in. So when it rained on July 23 my yard flooded and so did a room of my house... ANKLE DEEP.

Yes - I've been going in circles since then trying to find out who to contact over my damages and broken ditch. I'm guessing that the contractors who did the work should be the ones to fix it... I've called the City of Anniston, they say I'm County... the County says that the trail isn't theirs... I have been put off and put off and put off. Oh yeah, and put off. So I've been talking to the contractors and they keep blowing me off... they told me three times last week and once this week that they were coming out to look at the damage and they've stood me up EVERY time. I'm kind of tired of being nice to people. We can't get our house in order until someone repairs the ditch and I'm pretty tired of my house being a wreck. I don't take kindly to that shit.

I spoke to a lawyer today and he said to print the pics I have of my yard and my damages. He also told me to get an estimate and then come and see him. Someone came out and looked around today... he said he'll get my estimate written up ASAP. But we have to do a lot more than we thought... I thought we'd just need to replace the carpeting and baseboards... nope - walls and insulation, too. He said that if the water was as deep as we said (and we do have pictures) that the insulation would suck up the water and cause mold and also cause the walls to buck out. So great.

I'm nervous and upset... I've never had to sue anyone before, but these people aren't listening to my polite requests to not fuck up my house. The only thing I don't have pictures of is the machinery broken down in my yard... so what do you think? If the property has never flooded before and then suddenly after all this "taking up the tracks" business it does, does it sound like I have grounds to sue? I do have pics of cross-ties in the ditch and also where the ditch ceases to be a ditch. Oh, and all the standing water and everything. I'm going fucking nuts here, people. Is there anything I'm overlooking?? Anything else I should do?? Thanks to Jennifer mentioning it I'm also considering going to the media with this shit. What do you think?? Won't ya help a brother out, out, out, out, oouutt??