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Your car can be totaled just driving through your own neighborhood — and no one will take responsibility.
On July 27, 2024, while driving 15 mph near Bayview Drive and Granada Drive in Aptos, my car struck a protruding manhole cover. The oil pan was shattered, the car began smoking, and it was later declared a total loss. A neighbor had a nearly identical incident in October. Since then, the site has been repaired at least three times.
After nearly a year of effort — including photos showing a 4-inch dip in the road, receiving the claim forms from the county, a denied claim and a court appearance — I was finally told I had sued the wrong department. The county risk manager said the water or sanitation department is responsible, not the county. Why didn’t anyone tell me this a lot earlier?
The system is set up to wear people down.
I want readers to know how broken and unfair it is — especially when public safety and accountability are so clearly being ignored, as evidenced by the disrepair of many roads in our neighborhoods.
Christine Kiebert-Boss
Aptos