OCALA, Fla. – Liberty Home Water has apologized to an Ocala couple and brought in a lawn-care company to restore their yard after surveillance footage showed an employee dumping chemical water-softener salt on the property. The video drew more than 1 million views on News 6’s Instagram page.
After News 6 first reported the incident, Liberty Water met with the Overby family, expressed regret and began working to resolve the dispute.
“I apologize, man, about your grass. I had a terrible day that day. I was going through some bad stuff. My wife was in a car accident, and I was having a bad day, brother. And I took it out on you and I apologize for that,” the Liberty Water employee told the family.
[WATCH: Ocala family blames water treatment company for lawn damage after contract dispute]
Lawn repairs underway, system reinstalled
The company hired a lawn service to repair the damaged grass, with the work scheduled for completion Monday, October 26. Liberty Water also reinstalled the Overbys’ water treatment system at no cost.
Homeowner Adrian Overby said he was encouraged to see the conflict finally moving toward a resolution.
“It’s good to see people try to do the right thing or handle something in a better manner than what it was handled,” Overby said.
In a statement to News 6, Liberty Water said it is taking the matter seriously. “We believe that doing the right thing means more than simply saying the right words,” the company said.
Overby said he believed the company deserved an opportunity to correct the situation.
“But I figured well if I went through all this trouble to get their attention, I might as well give them the opportunity to make it right,” he said.
Neighbor steps up with offer of free water system
Following the broadcast, Ethan King, owner of King’s Water Solutions, contacted the Overbys and offered the family a free water system. King said his company knows how it feels to be taken advantage of.
“Just to let them know that there are still good people out there, and that neighbors should look out for one another,” King said.
Employee not disciplined
Liberty Water identified the worker in the surveillance video as one of its top employees. He was not disciplined over the incident, but did apologize directly to the family.
The Overbys said they hope the matter is now settled. If additional issues arise, however, King said he would be available to help.
