Troy residents sue city for sewage backups

TROY, Mich. – Some Troy residents are suing their city because of a flooding incident two years ago that caused hundreds of gallons of raw sewage to damage their basements.

Attorney Phillip Bazzo says his clients' lives were turned upside down.

Raw sewage spewed out of toilets and drains and onto the floors of more than a dozen basements in Troy in 2013.

Bazzo says the incident was caused by grease discarded in the sewer system by the nearby Somerset Collection.

The residents settled a lawsuit on that issue months ago.

Now, Bazzo is suing the city of Troy for negligence.

Troy's city attorney Lori Grigg-Bluhm says the city is not concerned about the suit.

Bazzo says his clients paid thousands of dollars to rebuild their homes, and if they want to sell their homes in the future, they will have to report sewage backups, which he says will cut their home values by at least 10 percent.


About the Author:

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional.