The question of who will pay for the cleanup of Port Huron’s Chicory Building, which was destroyed in a fire in 2018, has been answered by the courts.
The historic building near the Black River was once a chicory production facility, dating back to the early 1900s. The building burned in a massive fire on June 22, 2018, and an oil leak was discovered a week later. The City of Port Huron cleaned up the oil leak and hauled away a large amount of asbestos at an expense of nearly $474,000.
The City took the owners of the property, Harshad C. Mehta and Shilpa H. Mehta, to court to recoup the costs. The lawsuit was brought before Judge Michael West in October of 2018, who ruled in favor of the city, awarding a judgment of full reimbursement for the cleanup plus interest.
The owners appealed the decision and it was finally decided last week, with the Court of Appeals denying the appeal and upholding Judge West’s decision.
City Manager James Freed celebrated the decision, saying, in an email to City Council, “We are grateful to the Courts for standing by our community as well. This decision provides excellent case law for municipalities across our state going forward.”
Reporting for WGRT- Jennie McClelland
