BATON ROUGE- A lot can happen in twenty years: people grow up, cities develop, and neighbors move. But this story is about what hasn't happened with each season and each leaf that falls from the tree.

Paul Ellender bought his house in 1998. And ever since, he's been waiting for someone to fix the drain in front of his house.

"They don't call this a priority," Ellender told 2 On Your Side.

The drains have been stopped up ever since he moved in, and they aren't doing they're designated to do. "Some runs in the gutter," he said.

When it rains, the water skips over it, floods the street, and moves to the next drainage spot down the road.

"They've come out and looked at it, the city has, but other than that nothing has been done," he said.

Ellender says his calls to the City-Parish started a long time ago. "Each time I call in, I get another work order."

He says he's sent a letter and made a few dozen phone calls, but hasn't had any luck. So what's the hold-up?

"All they've done is marked the ground," Ellender said, recalling a few times when the City-Parish came out to take a look at the improperly working drain. 

But this last time, twenty years in the making...was different. 2 On Your Side contacted the City-Parish about Ellender's problem a week ago. The City-Parish says tree roots had grown into the line.

The problem was patched today and covered back up with dirt. Ellender says he's very happy.

"I had completely lost faith in this ever happening," he said. "It's great. 2 On Your Side works!"

As this dirt turns over, faith has been restored in knowing his drain will finally do what it was designed to do all along.