DETROIT – A lifelong Detroit couple has been dealing with a flooded basement for the five decades they’ve lived there, but it’s gotten much worse in the past weeks.
They’ve been calling the city daily asking for help. They weren’t getting anywhere, so they called Local 4 and the city was out within half an hour.
“I had to call Channel 4 news in order to get some response,” Melvin Beasley said. “I just thank God that y’all were able to take care of this matter for me.”
After calling the city, the deputy director of the water and sewerage department came out.
“This sewer is not on our records, it’s not on our maps. We don’t know whose sewer it is,” Deputy Director Sam Smalley said.
For weeks, 86-year-old Beasley, a veteran, has been starting his day by pumping water out of his basement.
“This is a garden hose,” he said. “It pumps the water out.”
The Beasleys have lived in their home here for 50 years. The basement flooding has always been an issue. They’ve lost a lot because of it.
“Some of my children’s school works and school books,” his wife, Merlene, said. “Stuff that I was saving from when they were in elementary. Clothes. Shoes.”
They live on the corner, and their sewer line runs to their backyard.
They had plumbers come out to snake the line – and they said it was an issue with the city line.
So, Melvin called the city. Several people came out and had the same message – they couldn’t get to the manhole to check out the issue because it was covered in debris.
He’s waited weeks.
After we called, the city came out today and moved the debris in a few minutes.
“We are pulling the individual deeds to see if there is an easement because it’s not a public sewer according to our records,” Smalley said.
But, Melvin says, the city was out here in 2020 and cleaned it.
Monday afternoon, the city was snaking it, and Local 4 was in the house.
“Listen – they say they aren’t hooked up to me – you hear it running?” Merlene Beasley said.
Water was going down.
“Tell me how you’re feeling?” Local 4 asked.
“I feel good now. Feel like James Brown. Feel good,” Beasley said.