Riverchase CC Sues Over Storm Water Drainage Problems

June 11, 2020

Riverchase Country Club has filed a lawsuit against the Riverchase Residential Association for failing to fix storm water drainage problems.

Riverchase Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama has filed a lawsuit against the Riverchase Residential Association for failing to fix storm water drainage problems.

According to the lawsuit, the storm water that was causing damage to the golf course and cart path, reported the Club + Report Business.

The lawsuit was filed Apr. 29, 2020 in Shelby County Circuit Court, citing erosion problems that  could create hazards which could injure people.

According to the suit, over the course of a couple of years, drainage pipes that carry storm water from multiple areas of the Riverchase development have deteriorated. This caused erosion problems on the golf course and cart paths, reported Club + Report Business. 

Mike Gedgoudas, president of the club’s board of governors and an attorney who filed the lawsuit, said one problem on the eighth hole of the golf course likely would have cost more than $500,000 to fix. 

Additionally, an erosion problem on the 13th hole has created a more urgent hazard, with the cart path giving way, Gedgoudas added. There are signs of erosion problems on at least three other holes of the golf course that are related to the storm water systems.

Instead of repairing that storm water pipe, the country club proposed creating a huge ditch and making a bridge over the problem area, reported Club + Report Business. The country club was willing to provide labor for the job and asked the association to cover the cost of materials and equipment, which are estimated at about $30,000. The Riverchase Residential Association responded that it was not the association’s responsibility to correct the problem.

According to the lawsuit, the association’s incorporation papers clearly state that the association has a responsibility to maintain drainage systems and can collect dues from members for the purpose of doing so. 

The country club has requested emergency consideration and relief from Shelby County Circuit Court. 

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Cristina Tuser