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Man claims landlord forces him to pay utilities on garage he’s not allowed to use

Posted at 6:40 PM, Apr 09, 2015
and last updated 2015-04-09 18:40:46-04

DELTON, Mich.-- For the past five years, a man from Delton who rents a home said he's been paying for the utilities for the garage on the property even though he's not allowed to use it.

Curtis Kilbourn said he's been paying high gas and electric bills that he shouldn't be solely responsible for. The house he lives in with his family is a rental. While the garage doesn't come with the rent, he said he's paying for the heat and electric because his landlord refuses to put in a separate meter.

"As for what I'm paying for it, I wouldn't know," Kilbourn said. "It's at least as large as the ground floor of my house, and I would say I'm probably paying 1/3 of my utilities are probably going to the garage."

Kilbourn said it was never disclosed to him that he wouldn't be getting billed for a piece of property that he doesn't use.

FOX 17 placed a call into the landlord, Drew Chapple, but got no answer. The Problem Solvers also stopped by Chapple's business, and it was closed.

Kilbourn said after years of frustration he's moving out and has bought a place of his own. He said he wanted to reach out to FOX 17 to spread a warning to future tenants who may lease the property once he's gone.

"I think it's unfair for anyone to have to move into this and it's not disclosed right away," Kilbourn said.