North Miami residents demanding more drainage for new buildings built on higher ground

Some North Miami residents are fed up with floodwater that they say is spilling over from nearby properties that are built on higher ground than their homes.

That's why a growing number of properties are being taken to court to stop their floodwater from flowing into the street.

Eileen Bicaba recorded a video of her dropping blue dye outside an elevated storage facility when it rained on May 17.

The video shows the water spilling onto the street and carrying the dye all the way from 135th Street to Northeast 3rd Court near her home.

"I wanted to prove a point that we do get the water, and we do get a lot of water from that facility," Bicaba said.

The City of North Miami sent the property a notice of violation in April of 2025 for deficiency in water drain and retention systems.

The notice said there was a deadline for compliance, but it didn't list a date.

CBS News Miami asked the city when the deadline is, and if the property complies. CBS News Miami is still waiting for a response.

"I want all these facilities to fix the problem," Bicaba said. "They need to retain the water on-site."

Just last week, Bicaba added the lot's property owner to a lawsuit she's filed against several other property owners near her house, demanding they build more drains.

She claimed that this lot's owner failed to "investigate, assess ,or remediate drainage deficiencies when it was acquired."

"With each project the flooding gets progressively worse," Bicaba said.

CBS News Miami reached out to the lawyer representing the business and all the defendants in the lawsuit, asking for comment on the suit and the city's violation notice.

CBS News Miami is still waiting for a response.

Bicaba's lawyer, Raul Gastesi, said many new South Florida developments are being built on higher levels – and said with that comes responsibility.

"They raised these properties anywhere between four and six feet," Gastesi said. "Of course the water is going to run off it. You know that, so you have to design it so the water stays on your property."

The city's notice of violation told the owners of the property that if it doesn't get into compliance, the property could be fined anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 per day.