Lubbock Mobile Home Park To Have Water Shut Off

The City of Slaton, Texas is threatening to turn the water off to the Slaton Mobile Home Park for non-payment of over $25,000 in water bills.

Park owner Kenney Shipley says that the bills are wrong, and have been in error since the city installed a new water meter. Right after installation, his water bills skyrocketed, so he has only paid the amounts for each month that he paid for 2008.

The City of Slaton has tested the meter and found it to be accurate, and says that the money is owed and past due. If they do not receive payment in full immediately, they will shut the water off before the end of June.

Shipley has vowed to keep the water flowing, even if he has to file a legal injunction against the city to keep them from shutting the water off.

Frank’s Opinion of This Story:

The old “my water meter is broken” excuse doesn’t work for your tenants, and it sure doesn’t work for the owner, either. If you dispute a bill, you need to get the meter checked, and also look for any leaks in the system. Many cities will give you a one-time reduction if there was a major leak. But after the test on the meter is completed -and if it is working properly -you better pay your bill. We’re shocked the city let him get away with this for over a year without threatening to shut off the water sooner. Do you think he should hire a lawyer and file an injunction (total price probably $10,000) or just apply those funds to his bill? And do you think he should proactively try to reach a payment plan with the city and put this issue behind him immediately? We do.

1 Comment

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  By Lee Helt, July 5, 2010 @ 1:59 pm

  I would suggest that owners and managers look at outsourcing the payment of their utility bills. This way the bills are audited each month and it would prevent this type of potential shut-off from happening.

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