Woman returns from vacation to find her Atlanta home demolished by mistake: ‘I am furious’

An Atlanta woman is looking for answers after a longtime family-owned property was reduced to rubble while she was away on vacation, apparently due to an error by a local hauling and demolition company.

Sarah Hodgson said she was alerted to the unsanctioned destruction by a neighbor, who called to ask if she had hired a company to tear down the vacant house in southwest Atlanta.

“I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down,'” Hodgson said in an interview with AP Saturday.

When the neighbor ventured outside to confront the workers, Hodgson said they told her to “shut up and mind her own business.”

Hodgson said she then called a family member to pay a visit to the property to see what was happening. The family member asked to see the workers’ permit.

When a site supervisor checked the permit, Hodgson said he admitted they were at the wrong address.

The work crew then packed up their equipment and left the property, leaving the house in ruins, Hodgson said.

Although the house had been boarded up for about 15 years, Hodgson said the lawn was maintained and all taxes were current on the property.

“How do people just go up and tear somebody’s property down and then just drive off? How can they think that’s OK?” she said, expressing concern about any gas or water lines that could have been damaged in the incident.

Hodgson said the company responsible for the mishap, Atlanta-based You Call It We Haul It, has yet to contact her. She said she’s filed a police report and has spoken to attorneys.

“I think he owes us an apology, and he needs to fix the problem. He needs to fix the problem,” Hodgson said.

In a statement sent to Fox 5 Atlanta, You Call It We Haul It said they are working to resolve the matter.

Calls placed to the company on Sunday were sent straight to a voicemail box which was full.