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River North townhome owners say they’re getting soaked in water bill spat
A neighboring condo association says it under-billed for water service for a decade — and now wants townhomes to pay up
A River North condo association that under-billed a neighboring townhome association for water service going back to 2008 now wants those owners to pay up, and the spat has landed in Cook County court.
The 52-story condo tower at 1030 North State Street and the 15 townhomes at 1000 North State Street have an agreement dating back to the 1970s, according to Crain’s. In it, the condo tower provides water through a branch line to the townhomes because the two were once part of the same complex.
But now the Newberry Plaza Condominium Association says it charged the Newberry Plaza Townhouse Association less than it should have for water service from 2008 until this January — to the tune of $200,539.
When negotiations broke down two weeks ago, the condo association threatened to cut off water to the townhomes. The dispute ended up in court, and a Cook County judge blocked any shutoff until at least Friday.
The townhome association’s lawyers said six of the 15 townhouses have changed hands in recent years, meaning in some cases current owners were being asked to pay for water they didn’t use, according to Crain’s.
In its lawsuit seeking to stop the shutoff, the townhome association said the condo has offered little or no information to back up its claims of under-billing.
Building a new, separate water line to service only the townhomes would cost as much as $100,000, according to the suit. [Crain’s] — John O’Brien