Members of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity came back from winter break to find their house in shambles. The house at 556 S. State St., which often hosts volleyball games on its front lawn, suffered damage from both a flood and a burglary that occurred in the same week.

Home to 18 fraternity brothers, the house was broken into between Dec. 23 and Dec. 27, said Ann Arbor Police Detective Amy Ellinger. Ellinger added that the last time any of the brothers were in the house was Dec. 23.

A nearby resident notified the Ann Arbor Police Department of the break-in on Dec. 27, Ellinger said. When police arrived at the house they found a broken window, burglarized bed rooms and several broken water pipes, which resulted in flooding on the upper and main levels of the house.

In addition, Max Barack, the outgoing president of ADPhi, said several things were stolen from the house. A complete list of stolen items is still yet to be determined, but according to Barack, expensive items like televisions, DVD players and speakers were reported missing.

According to the police, it is still unclear whether the burglary and the flood are related.

“It can’t be determined whether it was from the cold temperature or whether the window was broken,” Ellinger said. “We don’t know.”

Barack said many of the rooms have been damaged because of the break-in, and certain walls have been torn down in order to repair the pipes.

Although officials initially deemed the house unsuitable for living, the fraternity brothers have moved back in this week, Barack said.

“There was a brief time where it was deemed unlivable. We considered that as an alternative option, but ultimately that’s not going to be forced upon us now,” Barack said.

Barack added that contractors have been working to repair the damages since they were first discovered. He said the repair costs, which are being covered by insurance, haven't been determined.

Despite the inconvenience caused by the two incidents, spirits remain high for the ADPhi brothers. Barack said the supportive response from the Greek community, is “the silver lining to this incident.”

“Members of the Greek community were very much open to and offering alternatives and options for the guys in the house,” Barack said. “Some of the other Greek houses called and offered places to live. So the response was really nice.”

Any information regarding the case can be reported to Detective Amy Ellinger at 734-996-3282 or aellinger@a2gov.org.