Elkhart golf course owner suing over damage done to moneymaker restaurant

A longtime golf course in Elkhart is going to have its possessions auctioned off tomorrow after closing down due to major damage from a sewer leak.

That leak has prompted a lawsuit from the owner of the golf course against the city, INDOT and a local contractor.

The links at Christiana Creek Country Club on Elkhart's north side have no golfers and won't for a while.

The golf course shut down after its moneymaker restaurant was badly damaged.

"Without the restaurant there, it's very difficult to break even just with golf and so they can't keep running at a deficit, it's been almost a year now," said Attorney Michael Misch.

The reason behind the damage is now the subject of a lawsuit filed by the golf course's owner against the city of Elkhart, the Indiana Department of Transportation and Michiana Contracting. It alleges that while installing a traffic light system next to the restaurant, the construction crew hit the restaurant sewer pipe causing it to back up and flood the building.

"You can imagine it was pretty bad," said Misch.

The restaurant had to close down after water filled with feces flooded the restaurant and damaged just about everything in it.

A report done by a surveyor concluded the cause of the backup was the drain that was broken during construction.

Attorney Michael Misch is representing the country club's owner.

"Somebody didn't mark the appropriate line and it caused basically the complete destruction of this place. It needs to be completely gutted or remodeled but at this point it is completely unusable."

Misch estimates the damage and lost profit is in the millions.

With the golf course closed up, its possessions are going to auction tomorrow. It's something that the owner wishes never had to happen.

"This was fulfilling a dream for him and it was absolutely devastating."

Tomorrow's auction begins at 10 a.m. for restaurant equipment and 2 p.m. for the golf course equipment.

We reached out to the city of Elkhart, INDOT and Michiana Contracting. All told us they had no comment.