A longstanding dispute over a water bill in College Park could shut down the Yorktowne Condominiums and result in the eviction of residents Tuesday morning, according to Channel 2 Action News.
The city of College Park has said it will shut off water service to the complex at 9 a.m. on Tuesday unless the homeowners association comes up with part of a $336,000 dollar debt the complex has run up in recent years, Channel 2 reports.
Residents said undetected leaks in the complex led to the skyrocketing bills, and the association and management company simply couldn't keep up. The city runs the utility service in the area and said it's simply had enough and something needs to be done, according to Channel 2.
The city has waived half of the large bill, but said the $56,000 must still be paid by Tuesday, Channel 2 reports. With no water service, the complex will be deemed uninhabitable and everyone will be evicted. The complex could ultimately be condemned, according to Channel 2.
Not all residents have given up hope. Some are going door to door in the area, others are working the phones, trying to raise enough donations to pay the $56,000 tab to keep the water on, Channel 2 reported.
"What we are asking for is terms that we can afford to pay them off and what we owe them fairly and to give us enough time to do that," homeowner’s association president Ron Johnson told Channel 2.
Johnson told Channel 2 that the bill exploded in recent years because undetected leaks underground spewed uncontrollably. In recent days, he said the leaks have been found and fixed. Now the only obstacle is money.
"So the problem is basically solved, but we are now dealing with the finances," he told Channel 2.
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