HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-03-12, Page 7A Blyth couple has sought legal
advice to try and help them resolve a
property damage issue with the Twp.
of North Huron.
On Sept. 14 the home of Darrel
and Kim Eckert suffered serious
flooding of their basement,
effectively eliminating half of their
living space, as the family room,
their bedroom and a bathroom were
located there.
It was believed the problem was a
drain on the property, and the couple
said they were advised to put in a
back check valve.
Two weeks after renovations were
complete, in December the basement
flooded again.
Without any solution, and
continued flooding (a third one
occurred Feb. 11) the family has
been forced onto the cramped main
floor of the small bungalow. Their
three children, two girls, aged 14 and
10, and a five-year-old boy, have
been sharing one bedroom.
Since December, the Eckerts have
noticed that the damage is going
well beyond cosmetics too. Kim said
she came home one night and saw a
substantial crack in the wall.
There is so much hydrostatic
pressure building from outside, “it’s
basically trying to lift my whole
house from one end to the other,”
said Darrel.
The Eckerts engaged attorney
Quinn Ross on Friday. “We are
looking to open dialogue with the
township in order to resolve the
situation to everyone’s benefit,” said
Ross. “We want to give the
municipality the opportunity to talk
to us and come up with a mutual
solution.”
North Huron council was updated
about the “unusual water problem”
from clerk-administrator Kriss Snell
at their March 2 meeting.”
Snell explained that there are a
number of drains, like this one not
registered to the township.
“There are no easements, they
aren’t named as municipal drains,
meaning the township can’t go in
and fix them,” said Snell.
If this is ‘their’drain, however, the
Eckerts are wondering why they
didn’t know. “In 1999 the township
came in took a tree down, dug a hole
and put in new pipe,” said Kim. “We
never saw a bill for any of that.”
“After the new pipe went in we got
a small flood but have not since...
until now.”
In a phone interview Snell, who
wasn’t working for the township at
that time, said he assumes someone
was “trying to offer this family some
assistance. But we open ourselves up
to liability when we work on private
property.”
Investigation into the situation,
which has caused similar problems
as the Eckerts are experiencing at
other homes in the neighbourhood,
said Snell, has shown quite a lot of
connections with the drain, and “we
suspect tree roots as well.”
While there are a number of
drainage issues in Blyth with no
proper outlets, Snell said these have
typically been addressed during
street reconstruction projects.
“Unfortunately, many years ago
Blyth didn’t have curb and gutter
and storm drains.”
Snell suggested council hold a
public meeting with residents of the
affected neighbourhood and look at
putting in a public drain under the
drainage act.
Snell explained there is a process
in place to make this drain, which
runs from Hamilton, to at least King
Street, a municipal one, and
suggested to council that a public
meeting of affected residents be
convened. Under the drainage act
the costs of repairs then are split
among the municipality and the
landowners.
“We need to see if there is some
willingness to petition a drain,” Snell
told council, though the municipality
can do it as a road authority. “Then
we have a legal right to go in and
repair.
“We should have a petition,” said
councillor James Campbell,
“because there will be some who
won’t want to be involved.”
Councillor Greg McClinchey said
if the problem was simply with the
one homeowner’s property it would
be “fixed tomorrow.”
“But we have to be mindful of a
more holistic approach so I am in
support of convening a public
meeting. I think we should go ahead
with that really soon.”
“I admit it’s not my preferred
option to put in more municipal
drains,” said Snell. “But I believe
this is the best we can do given the
current situation in Blyth.”
THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009. PAGE 7.Couple hopes for solution to water woes
What a mess
Blyth couple Darrel and Kim Eckert have had their home decreased by half since their finished
basement has flooded three times since last September. With the family room, the Eckerts’
bedroom and a bathroom located in the basement, the family, which also includes three
children, now finds themselves upstairs sharing two bedrooms and a bath. The problem is
believed to be a drain on the property, but as it is not in the township’s books as being owned
by North Huron it has complicated the repairs. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
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By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
Out of commission
With the exception of two weeks following the first repair
after flooding Darrel and Kim Eckert have been relegated
to sleeping in one of two main floor bedrooms, while the
three kids share the other room. (Bonnie Gropp photo)