ST. LOUIS — A north St. Louis woman claims workers from the City of St. Louis tore down her fence while clearing a nearby lot, and then refused to pay for it.
For more than five decades, Oneda Johnson has kept a watchful eye over her neighborhood.
“We just kind of watch out for each other around here,” said Johnson. “This area has really changed.”
When a nearby lot started to get overgrown, Johnson and her neighbors didn’t hesitate to call the city.
“It looked like farmland over here,” said Johnson. “We had corn, and all sorts of weeds, up really high.”
She said in July of 2021, the city finally sent out a crew to cut the grass
“Since I was one of the ones that complained about the lot, I wanted to make sure they cut it low enough that if it rained it didn’t spring back up,” said Johnson. “My fence started vibrating and shaking, and I looked down the line but I couldn’t see it from being up in here. I went to my back and I said, 'My fence is down.'”
Johnson tracked down the city employee, who then called his supervisor to come survey the damage, and she still hasn’t forgotten what he told her.
“I can see where the back clipped the fence right over here,” said Johnson.
She called St. Louis Police, but since it was a non-emergency they urged her to call the Citizen’s Service Bureau, which ultimately denied her claim.
“She said 'Well, it’s your word against the driver,'” said Johnson. “If you don’t have any proof or video or witness, it’s your word against theirs.”
In an effort to get answers about why Johnson’s claim was denied, we reached out to the city, and a spokesman said they considered the case closed after it was dismissed in small claims court in February.
Johnson told 5 On Your Side the case was dismissed due to an error with her paperwork.
“I just want them to do the right thing and fix my fence,” said Johnson. “I’m not asking for a whole lot. I’m not trying to take anything from the city. Just do the right thing.”
Johnson said she received multiple estimates in excess of $1,500 to fix the fence but isn't able to afford it since she lives on a fixed income.