BELLEVILLE — Property owners claim the Stookey Township negligently replaced a water drainage culvert, causing their property to collapse.
John Michael Weilmuenster and Trish Weilmuenster filed a complaint March 7 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Stookey Township, alleging it failed to properly maintain the water drainage adjacent to their property.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege the defendants negligently replaced the existing water drainage culvert. Then in Spring 2017, their property sustained extensive damage when a large portion of it collapsed, eroded and washed away.
The plaintiffs allege the new water drainage culvert was inappropriate for the volume of water involved. They also claim the defendants failed to mitigate or reduce the risk of damage to the plaintiffs' property.
As a result, the plaintiffs claim they lost the use of their property, suffered diminished value and incurred costs of repairs and remediation.
The plaintiffs seek damages of at least $50,000, plus costs of this action and any further relief as the court deems proper and just.
They are represented by Gregory M. Skinner of Gregory M. Skinner Law in Belleville.
St. Clair County Circuit Court case number 18-L-166