STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – The sinkhole along 15 Mile Road in Fraser is becoming a bit of a legal battle.
In May, the city of Sterling Heights filed a lawsuit claiming its residents should not have to chip in for the repairs, which is now estimated to be about $75 million. It's a tricky situation because the interceptor, which collapsed on Dec. 24, 2016, is owned and maintained by the Macomb Interceptor Drainage District (MIDD). Most Macomb County communities are a part of MIDD and pay for it.
However, Sterling Heights Mayor Mike Taylor said no residents should have to pay because they already were paying to maintain it, which never happened.
"Had that work been done, I don't know, it sure seems to me like we wouldn't be in this mess right now. And that's money that the city paid. The rate payers paid to have that line inspected, maintained and repaired, and it wasn't," said Taylor.
The new Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, Candice Miller, does not necessarily deny what Taylor is saying. However, Miller said Anthony Marrocco was in charge at the time.
"Listen, whatever happened in the past, the facts are going to come out. They'll come out. And I'm sympathetic to the argument that my predecessor perhaps didn't do his job well here," said Miller.
Two months ago a judge ruled the city of Sterling Heights could not pursue the lawsuit unless they could convince MIDD to sue the county. But now the city has a new argument. It alleges county officials are blocking a claim against potentially substantial liability insurance, which in their opinion could cover some or all of the repair costs.
"I understand that we're kind of asking (Miller) to maybe file a lawsuit against herself. So I understand that she might not be too happy about that," said Taylor.
After the previous court hearing, Miller said she wouldn't do that.
You can view the full lawsuit below.
Sterling Heights Sinkhole Full Court Complaint by Clickon Detroit on Scribd
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