Stookey Township sued over faulty storm water work

A St. Clair County revocable trust claims property it owns is being inundated with storm water after Stookey Township performed storm water improvements on the property.

Golyam Shef Revocable Trust and Gary Gocheff claim Stookey Township performed water management improvements to their property at No. 5 Portland in Stookey Township without their consent and to the property next to them from 2006 through 2009.

However, the improvements failed to provide control of "even the most minute amount of rainfall and that during almost every rainfall, the plaintiff's property is inundated with storm water," the suit filed Feb. 18 in St. Clair County Circuit Court states.

Although Golyam and Gocheff have notified Stookey Township on multiple occasions, the township has never corrected any defect, the suit states.

As a result, Golyam and Gocheff will have to retain various contractors and building trade professionals to remedy the defects, they claim.

"The cost of restoration of the House will exceed $25,000 and that there will be additional expenses associated with the restoration including waste disposal, and other incidental and consequential expenses," the suit states.

In the three-count suit, Golyam and Gocheff are seeking more than $75,000 in compensatory damages, more than $75,000 in consequential damages and costs.

Timothy J. Bates of Belleville will be representing them.

St. Clair County Circuit Court case number: 09-L-0084.