Brandon Twp. – After four years, $140,000 and lots of headaches the home at 46 Cedar St. is up for sale.
The saga of the small home began several years ago when the property owner, Thomas Amoss noticed a funny smell coming from the shallow water well in the basement. Amoss had the well water analyzed and test results showed petroleum in the water. Further test results indicated the contaminants in the soil were from a nearby township owned underground gas tank leaking onto Amoss? property.
The property became a liability when in 1997 a lawsuit was filed against the township to clean the soil which was later tested and proven to contain petroleum.
‘My father-in-law dug a deeper well but he wanted the soil cleaned up too,? said Roger Geisler, son-in-law to Amoss.
Hubble Roth & Clark performed soil injections to neutralized the petroleum- tainted soil, however an Ann Arbor firm specializing in soil clean-up told Amoss the injections would only clean the soil within a one foot area of the treatment sites.
Amoss filed a law suit against the township because he claimed the remediation method used by the township engineering firm, Hubble, Roth, & Clark was not effective in cleaning the soil.
‘All he asked for was to clean the property, he didn’t even get reimbursement for the new well,? said Giesler. ‘It was a real, real nasty thing. The only persons who won were the attorneys,? said Giesler.
In October 1998, the case was settled out of court with the Township purchasing the property as part of the settlement. Amoss died from complications of diabetes in September 1997, prior to the settlement.
‘There is no indication of petroleum products at the surface of the soil and it is not in the drinking water,? said Ron Lapp, Brandon township supervisor, who voted to sell the property.
‘With that house sitting there empty I think it’s a liability waiting to occur. We’re not using the building for public use because it does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.? The ADA requires handicapped access to public buildings. Lapp added that neighbors do not want a parking lot on the site, and ‘it would be nice to have the building back on the village tax rolls.?
On May 5, the township trustees voted, 6-1 to sell the property under sealed bid with a minimum bid of $50,000. Treasurer Linda Owen voted against selling the property because the BGO is currently using the building as storage.
The property will be sold subject to several requirements recommended by township attorney Stuart Cooney of Karlstrom, Cooney, Caruso, Keenan, Sharbaugh & Steckling in Clarkston.’Anything left in the ground is above the well water and it will decline,? said Cooney. ‘The question is how fast??
Send sealed bids to: Twp. Treasurer Jeannie McCreery at 395 Mill St., Ortonville, Mi. 48462, by June 9 at noon.