REDFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — People who live at Plymouth Court in Redford Township are outraged over nearly losing their water. The complex was previously known as Longs Mobile Home Park.
According to Redford Township's Treasurer Lily Cavanagh, the park's owner hadn't paid the water bill since he took over the property in Sept. 2018. Friday morning, the Township received its first payment from the man, catching up on all the unpaid months he'd previously missed.
However, according to Cavanagh the owner had yet to pay more than $27,000 in taxes to Wayne County, around $11,000 of which are allocated to Redford Township.
Long-term resident Michael Sanchez said the water issue put him in limbo.
“I’m 70-years-old this summer. I need water. There are some people in here who have small children. They require water," he told 7 Action News.
Since the bill has been paid, losing water is no longer a problem for people living at the park. However, many residents are concerned more problems lie ahead.
"These people don’t talk to you, they don’t say anything to you," said Norm Slater, who's lived in the park for seven years.
Slater said he didn't even know that there was an issue with the water bill, until a friend of his spotted a notice in the park and told him.
According to the Township, some people's rent has gone up by around $150. Many mobile park residents are on fixed incomes.
From broken pipes, to water concerns, Sanchez said it's often hard to get the owner on the phone, or to speak with someone locally. He claims there is no maintenance staff on location to deal with issues like busted pipes, which residents have complained about.
Late Friday afternoon, the park's owner Christopher Reeves, issued the following statement to 7 Action News.
We are changing property management and interviewing now. I was as shocked to find out about the water and tax bill as anyone else. Both have been paid. Somebody dropped the ball and the buck stops with me. We are investing significant capital funds (over six figures) in improvements this summer and by fall will have the highest tech monitoring and management systems the industry has ever seen. Stay tuned.
