GLEN CARBON - Much of Madison County, including the village of Glen Carbon, are known as an old mining area.
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A Glen Carbon couple - Adrienne and Lance Parker and their 13-year-old child - recently were forced to move out of their home in the 70 block on Lucinda Drive. The couple said they believe it is because the back part of their house sits on an old mine shaft.
Adrienne said her husband is deployed overseas and the two of them had to make a lot of tough decisions about their home. When she first noticed changes in the house, they had Heiltech Waterproofing and Foundation Repair come out and she said her father-in-law paid to have them jack the house up. The workers then found a 40-foot sink hole in the back coroner of the garage. The couple's insurance company said the changes in the home were due to settling and denied any claims.
“One of my friends who works at a lawyer’s office sent me a copy of the mines and maps in the area and our back corner does sit on an old mine shaft. When we got the maps we added mine subsidence insurance,” she said. “We had cracks everywhere and they continued to get worse inside and outside the house and by the garage. If you put a marble on the floor, it would roll by itself. That is pretty unbelievable.”
A mine subsidence company came out to analyze whether the problems with the home were due to that, but said the mine wasn’t the problem. The insurance company had to take the word of the mine subsidence experts, she said, although she and her husband disagree. The two believe mine subsidence is the problem.
Demolition of the home will begin soon, she said. She still has some items in the home, but once the rain stops she will completely move out.
Parker said she worries about other homes in Madison County possibly facing the same problems she has with the vast amount of previous mines.
“Our home moved quite a bit since this started,” she said. “It just continued to get worse. My son and I will now stay at my mother in law’s home until we get this house rebuilt. The new house will have a basement and two stories. I am hoping they will dig the sink hole out when they put the basement in.”
Parker is a member of Metro Community Church and she said members helped her move heavy furniture out which she is very thankful.
“The church is amazing,” she said of Metro. “It was just a matter of me saying I needed help.”
The Parker family had no choice but to demolish the home and build another one. They had to demolish and rebuild because they owed too much money on the home.
She recommended to other residents to check maps of where the mines used to be during the home-buying process.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to help the Parker family with expenses during the move, demolition and rebuilding of the home could send checks or cash to Metro Community Church and the church would pass the funds on to her family, she said. She said a fund hasn’t yet been established to help, but the expenses are significant in the demolition and rebuilding process.
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