Plaintiffs in Granite City drainage dispute net $60,000

Plaintiffs in an eight year-old suit over drainage at their properties in two Granite City subdivisions walked away from their case with $60,000 on the day it was set to go to trial.

Plaintiffs Darla Bauer, William Smith, Vicky Davis and Pamela Winn settled their suit against Zora Lesko, Madison County and several other defendants April 5.

Their eight year-old suit had been set for trial that day.

The four sued Lesko and her now deceased husband in 2002 alleging that faulty drainage easements in the Lesko subdivision caused their properties to flood.

Other defendants including the Madison County Special Service Area, Metro East Sanitary District and others were added as the suit progressed.

Bauer took away the largest part of the settlement at $34,000. Winn got $10,000, Davis got $5,000 and Smith got $1,000.

The remaining $10,000 is held in trust by Anderson & Gilbert Trust.

The parties were to bear their own costs and pay their own attorney's fees.

The plaintiffs were represented by Francis Duda.

Zora Lesko was represented by Debra Meadows.

Fred, Jerry and Phyllis Hardesty do not have representation listed.
The Morris Realty Company acted pro se.

The Metro East Sanitary District was represented by James Cook.

Madison County, representing the Special Service Area was represented by Donald Smith.

The case was Madison case number 02-L-846.