Seniors told to stop paying water bills, now told to pay hundreds after complex began having leaks
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Carmen Dismuke and Lyndell Mayes, renters at The Villa at Mount Zion, are among a growing number of seniors struggling with unexpectedly high water bills.
'This one is $321,' says Dismuke, holding up her latest water bill.
Mayes adds, 'We're seniors, we can only afford so much.'
They told Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln bills that once hovered around $20 earlier this year have climbed sharply.
Mayes recalls, 'At the start of 2024, I was paying around $20. By the end of the year, it grew to more than $100.'
Dismuke shares her frustration: 'I don't understand the bill being so high.'
Dismuke said she believes the spike was due to constant water leaks in her unit, which have since been repaired. However, 'The bill never went down; every bill was the same.'
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Both renters say management instructed them to stop paying their bills temporarily while the issue was being addressed with the utility company.
'She told us, everything we got a bill, bring it to her. Therefore, we're not paying a bill and we're taking it to the rent lady,' Mayes said.
Now, however, management is urging tenants to pay what they can.
'Just pay whatever you can,' Dismuke says.
Attempts to contact the leasing office have been unsuccessful, as no one was available during visits.
An email sent to the property's corporate office received a statement that says in part: 'They are currently investigating the issue and expect to respond by Tuesday.'
Follow-up attempts have so far yielded no further updates.
'We don't want our water to be turned off,' Dismuke says.
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