HeraldNet.com:  Homeowners stuck with $15,500 sewer repair bill

By Noah Haglund

October 24, 2014

LYNNWOOD — The first whiff of a sewage problem at Ruth Crompton’s house arrived by mail. It came in the form of an Aug. 6 demand from the Snohomish Health District to fix a bad sewer connection or move out. Now, Crompton and her neighbors are stuck with a $15,500 repair bill for a nine-year-old problem that wasn’t their fault. Snohomish County officials concede as much, but say the responsibility to clean up the mess on private property rests with the small homeowners association. A county building inspector approved Crompton’s plumbing when the home was built. The developer has long since gone out of business. “I’m assuming when I buy this house, the sewage is hooked up,” Crompton said. “How many people failed here?” An Iraq War veteran who works as an auditor at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Crompton has compiled a dossier of notes, timelines and permitting information, seeking answers for what went wrong. She’s invested hundreds of dollars in repairs, several days off work and an incalculable amount of stress. She’s vowing not to pay another cent.  Read more: