AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – An Auburn Hills manufactured home community says they’re suddenly stuck with two water bills. In addition to their personal water bill, they are being charged for a community water bill over $10,000 that they believe is due to leaks.
Residents at Oakland Estates in Auburn Hills reached out to Local 4 after reporter Kyla Russell published several stories plaguing manufactured home communities.
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Phil Harrison showed Local 4 a water leak on the edge of the community that he says has been running all winter.
“They don’t want to fix it,” Harrison said. “They just say, not our problem, pass it on to the consumer.”
Harrison is a veteran who’s lived at Oakland Estates since the early nineties. He’s used to paying his personal water bill. He says it is predictable and fair.
But, he’s one of hundreds here who received a notice last summer about their payments starting in September, they say because of leaks like the one he showed Local 4.
“While your individual water usage continues to be billed separately, the community also incurs water cost,” Threse Robinson, another resident, said.
The notice says those charges cover community water, like irrigation and the clubhouse restrooms.
Residents say frustration is flooding over and when word spread Local 4 was coming, they filled Harrison’s living room to be heard.
Many times, the overall bill tops 10,000 dollars for a single month. Last month, it was $10,733 dollars. It gets split up among the residents.
“We want to see, show me a physical piece of paper, how we use that much water,” Kathy Eves, an additional resident, said.
“The $10,000 worth of water, I asked them how many gallons of water is that. It’s 1,000,247 gallons of water leaking out every single month in this part,” Harrison said.
Most residents are paying only around 15 dollars for their personal water bill. But, now, they’re paying this added communal charge on top and it’s often double, like in March.
“$41.88,” Robinson said, referring to March’s payment.
It got so high that the community capped the extra amount residents can be charged at $30.
But, the overages keep stacking up, and families tell me they can’t stay afloat. Harrison says since this started, there have been 18 evictions or people who have left.
“If they were sitting here, what would you say to them?” Local 4 asked.
“What are you doing to us? What are you doing to us?” Harrison said.
“I would say where is the water coming from? Why are we liable for it? This is their land, they own it, it’s their responsibility, we do our responsibility by paying for rent and water,” Eves said.
Local 4 reached out to the company that manages Oakland Estates, but has not heard back.