Tenants at a Lake Jackson apartment complex face the risk of water service being cut off through no fault of their own.
The city has reported that the owner of Edgewater Apartments owes over $77,000 in overdue bills for water, sewer, and garbage services. On Friday, the city mailed letters to tenants about the outstanding debt, warning that water service would be shut off if the bill isn’t paid by Jan. 2. By Tuesday, the city also installed a sign outside the complex with the same notice.
Tenant Aiden Rentrop expressed frustration over the situation, saying his water bills have been included in rent payments for the past two and a half years. “If we’re paying for it and the city’s not getting it, who’s getting it?” he asked.
City Manager Modesto Mundo explained that the property owner has been behind on payments since September 2023. Earlier in the year, the city had placed the owner on a payment plan, which was soon defaulted. “They’d make a little bit of headway, then fall behind again. So it’s been going on for quite some time,” Mundo said. On August 1, the city placed a lien on the property—its first such action due to unpaid utility bills.
Tenants interviewed by Eyewitness News said they were shocked by the landlord’s debt. “It’s like a real stab in the back,” tenant Joshua Perez commented, adding that tenants often receive notices for being just two days late on payments.
Management at the complex sent an email to tenants on Tuesday, reassuring them that the corporate office was handling the issue and promising no interruption to water service. However, the email did not clarify how this would be ensured, and the complex’s management did not respond to Eyewitness News’ requests for comment.
Mundo remains skeptical of the owner’s commitment to resolving the issue: “At this point, I don’t know if they are going to pay. They really haven’t shown any true progress.”
Attorney Ernie Garcia noted that tenants have a legal right to essential services like water, and a shutoff would provide grounds to terminate leases. “All they need to do is give written notice to the landlord and vacate within 30 days of receiving the utility shutoff notice,” Garcia explained.
For some tenants, this might be their only option. “If we can’t have water, we can’t shower, drink, or wash clothes,” Rentrop said.
