Mt. Union granted temporary injunction against RUSS

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

The City of Mt. Union was granted a temporary writ of injunction in Henry County District Court against the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS).

The court?s ruling came late Thursday and prohibits RUSS from excavating in Mt. Union and installing shut-off valves on the sewer system of properties which owe RUSS user fees.

According to the injunction, RUSS ?is herby strictly enjoined and restrained? from excavation and installation of shut-off valves in Mt. Union ?until further order of the district court.?

RUSS Executive Director Bruce Hudson said earlier this week that a contractor hired by RUSS was going to proceed with installing shut-off valves on delinquent properties this week.

Thursday?s ruling is another in a long line of legal proceedings between the two parties. At the heart of the issue is refusal by some Mt. Union property owners to pay RUSS sewer user fees. At one time, 15 property owners had not made a single payment since the system went online in the summer of 2010. The system is owned by RUSS.

RUSS sent a letter to non-payers on Feb. 19, giving them seven days from the date of the notice to pay the delinquency in full. If the bill was not paid, RUSS said it was going to install a shut-off valve for that individual user.

In the nearly two weeks that have followed since the letter was sent, seven of the 15 delinquent account-holders have satisfied part or all of their bill, according to Hudson. The payments have ranged from $1,000-$4,000, Hudson said.

Mt. Union residents, according to RUSS? financial figures presented at its February board of directors meeting, owed over $45,000 collectively.