Washington Township homes damaged by mine subsidence

By LIAM BELAN
lbelan@yourmvi.com
Early Saturday morning, many families on Hollywood and Mutich streets in Washington Township, Fayette County, were awakened by loud crashing sounds and came to find out that mine subsidence was causing their homes to shift or collapse.
Among those affected were Jason and Jill Owens, who live at 417 Hollywood St., in the Fairhope section of the township. Their home sustained significant damage.
“I thought our house was gonna get sucked into the ground,” Jason Owens said. “We thought it was gonna be a sinkhole.”
“We left (after firefighters cleared the scene) because we were terrified,” Jill Owens said. “It was so loud. … I thought when we came home, the whole block was going to be in the ground.”
The home has been passed through Jason’s family since it was built, dating back to his grandmother, Eleanor Owens, who said in her will that she wanted the home to remain in the family. The couple moved into the home just over a year ago and called it their dream home, saying that they love the area and their neighbors.
“We bought this house as our forever home,” Jill Owens said. “This wasn’t supposed to just be a starter home. There’s just the two of us, we’re in our 40s, we love this area, and we bought it expecting to be here forever. We fell in love with the neighborhood and fell in love with everything, but in one night after something out of our control, our futures changed. It sucks.”
Now, there are signs of damage all throughout the property, especially in the basement where the foundation of the house is cracked.
The same can be said at 418 Mutich St., where Jeff Manown lives with his wife, Mary Yoder Manown and son, Jeffrey Richard Manown.
Much like their neighbors, the Manowns were stunned by what they heard as their home shifted.

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