ABC NEWS: Homeowners Faced With Big Bills to Fix Dams Deemed Unsafe
Those legally responsible for the dams — mainly homeowner associations and individual families …

By Seanna Adcox, Associated Press
October 26, 2015

Columbia, S.C. – People who live around dozens of lakes in South Carolina are under emergency orders to repair or replace dams that ruptured or were deemed unsafe by inspectors after the historic rains this month, and they face staggering bills ranging from thousands of dollars to perhaps millions.
Those legally responsible for the dams — mainly homeowner associations and individual families — don’t have a lot to time to develop their plans and face potential fines if they don’t comply. They also don’t have any certainty about how to pay for the projects. Privately owned dams generally aren’t eligible for help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and they’re unlikely to be covered by private insurance. How much all of it will cost is still unknown.

“That’s the magic question,” said Laban Chappell, co-owner of a 40-acre lake in Lexington that emptied when the lake’s dam failed Oct. 4. Read more:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/homeowners-faced-big-bills-fix-dams-deemed-unsafe-34742865