Tiny home owners risk losing their 10-year-old properties after being sued by sewage systems, but say toilets are part of their alternative lifestyle.
Firesign Family Farm in Michigan, which prides itself on using “traditional sustainable ranching methods,” reportedly has up to seven residents living on its property.
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On April 11, farm owners Peter Stevens and his mother Ruth Ehman were sued by the building department of Washtenaw County, which is an hour west of Detroit.
The department says the farmers committed multiple health code and building department violations.
According to the process seen by MLivenone of the tiny homes were built with permits or approved for habitation by the Washtenaw County Building Department.
Stevens and Ehman have owned and operated their tiny homes for more than a decade.
However, they have recently run into legal trouble for the way they dispose of waste.
According to the complaint, the farmers are not linked to the city’s water system.
Instead, they use composting toilets, which are not a permitted form of wastewater service, according to the building department.
As Firesign does not have running water, gray water, which is any water that is not used in the bathroom, must be collected manually and disposed of off site.
“None of the small structures applied for or obtained on-site water or sanitary sewer permits that would allow these units to be inhabited,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint asked the judge to remove seven alleged residents who lived in the property and demolish the properties.
Authorities also want measures to be implemented to prevent the emergence of more small homes.
SMALL HOUSEHOLD PROBLEMS
This wasn’t the first time Firesign had a run-in with the law.
Webster Township officials took the couple to court in 2023 over zoning issues.
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However, the couple told the court that the rapes were part of their alternative lifestyles, according to MLive.
They say they want their farming and daily lives to have as little impact on their land as possible.
According to the farm’s Facebook page, Firesign is family-run and follows “traditional methods of sustainable livestock farming and dairy production.”
However, authorities still say the family legally needs permanent foundations and an approved water and sewer supply.
Stevens and Ehman have not yet formally responded to the complaint.
No hearing has been scheduled for the latest lawsuit, but a previous zoning enforcement case will be argued in court in August.
The legal drama comes as a real estate expert issues a big warning to potential tiny house owners before taking a little dip.
And a single father and his three children suddenly lost their small home, even though he owned it.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
