Flint man stuck with $26,000 water bill after buying home

FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) — A Flint man said buying a home to fix up has turned into an unexpected financial headache after discovering a $26,000 water bill tied to the property.

Kevin Wilson told ABC12 he bought the property on Bayberry Lane on the south side of Flint with plans to rehab it and turn it into a livable home. He purchased the home from a man named Dale Holic through a quitclaim deed transfer and chose not to disclose how much he paid for it.

Wilson said the shock came when he tried to get the water turned on.

“I went to get the water turned on and a young lady told me that I couldn’t get the water turned on in my name,” Wilson said. “And I asked her, I said ‘why?’ And she said because it’s a $26,000 water bill attached to the property.”

Wilson said the situation raises questions about how outstanding water charges are handled when a property changes hands and what buyers should know before closing on a home. ABC12 took his concerns to the City of Flint, asking whether a water bill in Flint follows the property instead of the person listed on the bill.

A spokesperson for the city confirmed that is correct.

“I was shocked because how do you let a water bill get to $26,000?” Wilson said.

Wilson acknowledges he may have made a mistake by not going through a title company, but he believes the city also bears responsibility. He’s now hoping other buyers can learn from his experience or that the City of Flint rethinks its policy.

“If you create a bill, that bill belongs to you,” Wilson said. “That bill do not follow the property.”

The city recommends researching the property through a realtor or title company before buying it.