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Hundreds of residents without water over unpaid bill
The shutoff occurred because the park's owner, Ara Darakjian, hadn't paid the water bill, which is over $83,000. However, residents claim they have already paid their water bills to Darakjian.
ALMONT, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Kingsbrook Mobile Home Park in Almont had its water shut off on Thursday morning.
What they're saying:
The shutoff occurred because the park's owner, Ara Darakjian, hadn't paid the water bill, which is over $83,000. However, residents claim they have already paid their water bills to Darakjian.
"He already took our money, and it's a crying shame," said Sherri Marcou.
"It's been ridiculous," said Joann Kowalski. "We pay our bills always on time, and now here we are with no water. What are we going to do?"
Fortunately, the community is stepping up to help with the water supply.
"I'm passing out water, buckets of water for toilets and bottles if they need it for drinking," said Dennis Horn.
Dig deeper:
FOX 2 spoke with Darakjian's attorney, Nathan Resnick, over the phone. He explained that the reason for the unpaid bill is that they believe they are being overcharged and have filed a lawsuit against the village.
Residents are also unsettled by the fact that Darakjian shut off the water due to financial constraints at Kristana Mobile Home Park in the Lansing area, where residents were told to vacate.
Regarding Kingsbrook, Darakjian's attorney stated that they paid the $83,000 bill online on Thursday afternoon, but the village won't turn the water back on until they receive a physical check.
The village manager informed me that they are requesting a cashier's check because their e-check for $75,000 in March bounced.
What's next:
As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, the water had turned back on, according to Kingsbrook Estates owner Ara Darakjian.
"We have been trying to work with the Village of Almont for several months to resolve what we believe are inconsistencies in water billing. However, the outstanding balance is being paid in full and expect water service to be turned back on as soon as this evening. We sincerely apologize to our residents for the fact that this dispute has now impacted them and will be issuing a credit to the entire Kingsbrook community for this day without water service."