How to sue a township

[gbradley]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania.
Public sewage is being put in all over my township. I just found out that my house along with 15 others will not be included in the sewer program because one township supervisor said nobody back here wanted sewage. I might add he lives in the middle of my houseing plan. Also, I along with many of the other homeowners were never asked if we wanted to be included in the public sewage plan. This supervisor took it upon himself to speak for us without asking us.

Can we sue him and the township? How do we go about starting that process?

Thank You

[Some Random Guy]

What did the township supervisors say about this when you and your neighbors brought it up at the last township meeting?

[gbradley]

What did the township supervisors say about this when you and your neighbors brought it up at the last township meeting?

Have not confronted them yet. Still gathering information from the public records before we go to township meeting. I am just looking ahead at possible recourse if supervisors deny us the sewage system. I have a problem with them saying we did not want sewage without them asking us. If the supervisors know we have legal recourse it may help persuade them to allow the system to come through. I guess I'm looking ahead at all the possible options here. Thanks.

[Some Random Guy]

I suspect that the township supervisor you mentioned just doesn't want to pay the sewer hookup fee and therefore made up the story to save himself $5-10,000.

Your problem is that your rep didn't relate your concerns to the supervisory board. You can remedy this by telling the board directly and not voting for that supervisor again.

If the board still doesn't want to provide you with sewer service, that is a completely separate issue. So long as their reason for not providing service is not discrimintory or illegal, you may not have much luck with a suit. The township board could just say 'based on the lay of the land and number of people in that area, it would cost too much money to install or maintain the sewers' and they wwould be justified in doing so.

I would suggest making a public stink in the newspaper and followup board meetings if they don't come around.

[racer72]

I suspect that the township supervisor you mentioned just doesn't want to pay the sewer hookup fee and therefore made up the story to save himself $5-10,000.

That would be the cost if there is already sewer lines installed on the street, such as if you were to build a new house in a previously developed area. The county in which I live is considering extending sewers to where I live, the estimated cost per house is $18,000 to $21,000. That's just the cost of installing the line. The homeowner would then have to pay to have a line run to the sewer line and the decommisioning of the old septic tank. That could easily add another $10,000.