GRAND RAPIDS -
The owner of a Grand Rapids apartment complex says he just ran out of money after the gas at his property was shut-off last week for two days.
Tenants were confused and the court had to step in. At the Ardmore Apartments on Kalamazoo Avenue SE, everything but the gas bill is covered by tenants.
The gas bill is payed by the owner, Bruce Bytwerk out of Muskegon. On Friday, his lender, United Bank of Michigan, took control of the property. A circuit court judge then ordered DTE to turn the gas back on.
Bytwerk says he had money problems, partly due to unpaid rent from lower income tenants who couldn't pay.
"It's not a situation of not wanting to, but not being able to," said Bytwerk. "And I've also been strapped on resources and not been able to pay DTE."
While the court was working out the gas incident Friday, Bytwerk was in Utah on a camping trip. Monday, FOX 17 spoke with him by phone on his way home. Bytwerk said he refinanced the apartments this spring, got his payments reduced, then worked out what he called an informal deal with DTE.
"We had told them what we would be paying and when, and had been making all the payments properly," said Bytwerk. "And we had one going out today that we were going to make. But it wasn't a formal payment agreement, and they had decided what we were offering apparently wasn't good enough."
Bytwerk Lakeshore Properties, his management company in North Muskegon, where he also owns the Northside Pines Apartments. In addition, Bytwerk owns two self storage facilities in Mason and Newaygo Counties.
Overall, Bytwork operates as an entity called 297 Clay Incorporated. That is the address of a building in downtown Muskegon composed of condos and office space. He used to own the whole building, but sold most of it off piece by piece.
At Ardmore, DTE says Bykwerk still owes them tens of thousands of dollars. Bytwerk wishes it didn't have to come to this.
"I'm relieved that the gas is back on, and I regret that my tenants were as inconvenienced as they were by that."
Because of Michigan's shutoff protection law, DTE couldn't cut off the gas until the end of April. But the utility said Bytwerk was given an extra month to try and come up with money.
Tenants were confused and the court had to step in. At the Ardmore Apartments on Kalamazoo Avenue SE, everything but the gas bill is covered by tenants.
The gas bill is payed by the owner, Bruce Bytwerk out of Muskegon. On Friday, his lender, United Bank of Michigan, took control of the property. A circuit court judge then ordered DTE to turn the gas back on.
Bytwerk says he had money problems, partly due to unpaid rent from lower income tenants who couldn't pay.
"It's not a situation of not wanting to, but not being able to," said Bytwerk. "And I've also been strapped on resources and not been able to pay DTE."
While the court was working out the gas incident Friday, Bytwerk was in Utah on a camping trip. Monday, FOX 17 spoke with him by phone on his way home. Bytwerk said he refinanced the apartments this spring, got his payments reduced, then worked out what he called an informal deal with DTE.
"We had told them what we would be paying and when, and had been making all the payments properly," said Bytwerk. "And we had one going out today that we were going to make. But it wasn't a formal payment agreement, and they had decided what we were offering apparently wasn't good enough."
Bytwerk Lakeshore Properties, his management company in North Muskegon, where he also owns the Northside Pines Apartments. In addition, Bytwerk owns two self storage facilities in Mason and Newaygo Counties.
Overall, Bytwork operates as an entity called 297 Clay Incorporated. That is the address of a building in downtown Muskegon composed of condos and office space. He used to own the whole building, but sold most of it off piece by piece.
At Ardmore, DTE says Bykwerk still owes them tens of thousands of dollars. Bytwerk wishes it didn't have to come to this.
"I'm relieved that the gas is back on, and I regret that my tenants were as inconvenienced as they were by that."
Because of Michigan's shutoff protection law, DTE couldn't cut off the gas until the end of April. But the utility said Bytwerk was given an extra month to try and come up with money.
