Imagine coming back from holiday only to find out your home was gone - but not due to a freak act of nature, instead a case of accidental demolition.
Susan Hodgson, of Atlanta, Georgia, was faced with this situation in October last year when her home, which had been in her family's possession for generations, was mistakenly demolished.
Hodgson said she first was made aware of the demolition by a neighbor, who'd asked her if she had ordered it.
"I said ‘no’ and she said, ‘Well, there’s someone over here who just demolished the whole house and tore it all down." she said.
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She also alleged that the workers had been rude to her neighbor, telling her 'to shut up and mind her business'.
Hodgson said she was forced to send a family member over, who then demanded to see a permit.
The worker in charge then pulled it out only to realize that he and his team were at the wrong address.
“He just packs up everything and leaves and the house is just gone,” Hodgson added.
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“[The home] had been boarded it up for about 15 years. We keep it boarded, covered, the grass cut, taxes paid.
"It is just hard to believe someone thinks they have the right to come up and walk away from it, no comebacks to say I'm sorry or asking what we need to do to fix this."
At the time, the company - called You Call It We Haul It - told Fox 5 that they had launched an investigation into the incident.
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They also said that they were working to rectify the situation, however, the family claimed that they had not heard from the company.
And now, the City of Atlanta has charged her with cleaning up the mess - or else face a fine.
In December, Hodgson said she spotted a 'bright yellow sign' which had been left in her backyard.
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"I noticed it said 'Stop Work Order," she said. "It said I had until the 16th to fix it, clean it up, and get it all done, and have the proper permits."
The City of Atlanta told the outlet in a statement: "The Department of City Planning, Office of Buildings issued a Notice of Correction on the property on November 2, 2023, with a correction end date of November 16, 2023.
"The correction notice affords the property owner the opportunity to bring the property into compliance. No citation has been issued to date."
“The structure on the property was demolished without a permit which is a violation of city code," they added.
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"The demolition of the property without the owner’s consent or knowledge is not a matter for the City of Atlanta.
"This is considered a civil matter between the property owner and the alleged responsible party."
UNILAD has contacted You Call It We Haul company and Atlanta's Department of City Planning for further comment.
Gerrard Kaonga