By Stacey Tucker (Contact / Staff Bio)
August 29, 2009 - 11:24 a.m. EST

CARO — A mobile home park in Caro may lose sewer service to their homes if the park’s owner doesn’t pay their mounting sewer bills.

Mid Michigan Community, LLC, owner of Vaughn Village in Caro, will owe Indianfields Township a total of $38,111.58 if they don’t settle their debt by Sept. 2.

Indianfields Township clerk Bill Campbell said Vaughn Village residents have been paying their utility bills as part of their lot rent, while the company has not paid the village.

“I think its unconscionable what the management company is doing,” Campbell said. “The management company is receiving the money from the tenants out there and not paying their bills.

“They are putting the tenants at risk for the health and welfare of their well being.”

The Village of Caro did what it could to collect the money from the company before turning the matter over to the township. Campbell said after looking at all of their options, village officials have ordered to their attorney, Michelle Biddinger, to proceed with legal action.

“If they have not paid their sewer bill by Sept. 2, then we will file a complaint,” Biddinger said.

Biddinger added that a similar situation is going on with the Village of Reese and M.H. Management, which owns the Meadows Mobile Home Park. Biddinger is unsure if the parks are managed by the same company.

To keep sewer service from being suspended to the Meadows Mobile Home Park, the residents are working to put their utility bills in an escrow account.

Campbell said he believes many of the residents of Vaughn Village are unaware of the situation, and hopes they also work together to place their bills in escrow.

“If it were me, I would get an attorney and put my money in escrow,” Campbell said. “Most of them, if not all of them, are not aware of what is going on out there.”

If sewer is turned off to the park, residents of Vaughn Village may have to leave their homes because of the health risk.

Stacey Tucker is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at tucker@tcadvertiser.com.