The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Mobile park residents file suit over unpaid utilities
Residents of Crestview Mobile Home Park, 19720 Route 58 in Wellington, are suing the owners over unpaid utilities, according to a lawsuit filed July 3 in Lorain County Common Pleas Court.
The complaint names 10 residents as plaintiffs and three members of the Ohly family, as well as Crestview 19720 Inc., as defendants.
According to the complaint, currently there is a dispute among Sharon Ohly, Steven Ohly and Gerald Ohly about who is in control of the mobile home park.
The filing states mobile home park residents pay for their water as part of their rent. That rent is paid to park manager Brian Ross,
a plaintiff in the suit, who gives the money to Sharon Ohly, or is mailed directly to her.
The lawsuit claims water has been shut off intermittently since 2016, and residents received a notice June 2 saying the water would be turned off.
According to the filing, the water bill has not been paid in several months, and Rural Lorain County Water Authority, which supplies water to the park, shows a past due balance of $7,083.81.
The residents attempted to reach Sharon Ohly by phone and at her home, but she failed to respond, the suit claims.
The Morning Journal could not reach the owners of Crestview for comment.
The suit is seeking injunctive relief to ensure the water bills are paid on time, unspecified damages related to a breach of contract and unspecified damages because of negligence.
Brenda Rundle, 57, said she has lived at the park for nearly her whole life.
Rundle said these issues are a fairly new occurrence in the mobile home park.
Residents have had to deal with similar situations with their electricity and trash pickup, but have since worked out deals with those service providers where the
According to the filing, the water bill has not been paid in several months, and Rural Lorain County Water Authority, which supplies water to the park, shows a past due balance of $7,083.81.
residents will pay the bills directly, she said.
However, the residents have worked out a similar arrangement with Rural Lorain County Water Authority, but Rundle said this is increasing her own price of living in the mobile home park.
“The water, garbage and electric were all combined in the lot rent, but now it’s not going to be,” she said.
She said despite paying for the services on her own, the mobile home park still is collecting money allegedly for these services as part of the rent.
Essentially, Rundle said she is paying for the same services twice.
Tim Mahoney, general manager of Rural Lorain County Water Authority, said as long as the residents pay their bills, going forward the water will not be turned off for the next six months.
Mahoney said the company and residents will have to work out what to do about the amount currently in arrears.