By Stacey Tucker
(Contact / Staff Bio)
August 8, 2009 - 05:26 p.m. EST
REESE — With the possibility of losing sewer service to their homes, residents of the Meadows Mobile Home Park are looking into their options.
After months of no word from the park and over $36,000 in unpaid utility bills, Reese village officials approved during their July meeting the suspension of sanitary sewer and waste removal to the park.
“They haven’t even attempted to keep their bill current,” Reese village manager Joe Hembling said at the meeting. “We have the authority to pull the plug on the sewer system to that trailer park.”
The village has tried shutting off garbage to the park without a response and Hembling said their next and only option is to turn off the sewer to the homes.
Garbage pick-up was halted from April 3-17 until the village decided to restore the service because of a concern for the health of the community.
Village officials said they haven’t touched the sewer for the same reason, but something has to be done.
“We definitely have been awfully patient with them,” said Jerry Ellison, Reese village president. “We’ve got to do something.
“They’re definitely not going to do anything on their own.”
Residents of the mobile home park will be on hand Monday at 7 p.m. at the Reese Fire Hall to speak during the public comments portion of the village council meeting. At that time, residents will be discussing their options with the village council.
“From what I’ve heard (the residents) have contacted an attorney to put their lot rent into escrow,” Ellison said.
Unless all debts are paid in full, the utility will be shut off Sept. 30.
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August 10, 2009
1:22 a.m.Report inappropriate content
Someone needs to call Obama and get him to send out a check.
Or better yet, Governor Granholm. They need to get one of those
caring compassionate politicians to step in and fix the problem
by spending our money.
August 10, 2009
5:35 a.m.Report inappropriate content
The residents needs to escrow their rent through an attorney, but it is going to take a majority to go along with it to do any good. In a month or two they would have enough to pay the Village of Reese and prevent any shutoffs. Then the park and the village can hash it out in court if need be. The owners of the park say the village has overcharged them for several years claiming there are a lot fewer homes in the park and that the village has a duty to keep an accurate count. The village claims the counting responsibility was left to the park a long time ago. I don't believe the owners of the park. Despite any supposed discrepancy, the park management has failed to pay for ANY sewer, water and garbage in a very long time, even though they collect for it every month. Any discrepancy should have been noticed by the park management immediately and, regardless of whose responsibility it is to count trailers, should have just given the correct figures to the village. Why would they not at least forward to the village the monies collected from the residents for the utilities? This park has not been well maintained since M H Management took it over and it is currently under investigation for several state violations as well, along with another one of their parks in Bay City. I worry about the disadvantaged in that park. Some of the residents are poor, elderly or disabled and do not have the resources to deal with this mess, but I certainly do not blame the village. It is unfair for the taxpayers of the Village of Reese to carry this burden.