By: Delaney Rogers
DEWITT TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLNS) – Residents of Kristana Estates Mobile Home Park received good news this morning following a court hearing where a Clinton County Circuit Court judge ordered water to be delivered to the park—following 80 days of not having any.
The order requires 250 gallons of non-drinking water to be delivered to the mobile home park, as well as additional water for drinking. Further demolition efforts at the park were also ordered to halt. Khadja Erickson, the executive director for the Mid-Michigan Tenant Resource Center, shared her thoughts on the conditions these residents were living in.
“When I came out here, they were showing us, you know, ‘Our sink doesn’t run,’ ‘We can’t flush our toilets,’” said Erickson. “These folks were taking money out of their own pocket to purchase water for themselves.”
In late March, tenants said they found notices taped to their doors informing them the mobile home park would be closed by April 1. The letter from management said that it was closing due to “declining occupancy rates” and poor infrastructure. A few days later, the water supply was cut off.
Residents said they were not given enough time to move out.
“It was clear to me that what was happening was not how this type of thing was supposed to unfold, and these people are entitled to proper notice,” said Erickson, who has been serving as an advocate for the residents.
Erickson says the conditions the remaining residents live in are unfair.
“These people have risked marriages, they’ve lost their jobs, you know, they’re impacted in every aspect of their life,” said Erickson. “I don’t even understand how they are able to continue with the fight because so much has been taken from them emotionally, mentally…so much was stolen and for no reason”
The owner of the property, Ara Darakjian, spoke to 6 News in May, offering his perspective, apologizing, and saying the water access had to be shut down due to the degradation of the water infrastructure.
There are no further scheduled hearings at this time, but Erickson says she hopes that there will be more progress in the future.
“They had to survive for at least 70 days without any running water in their home, any fresh drinking water coming out of their sink,” Erickson said. “You know, we won this battle. The war is still on, but a battle has been won nonetheless.”