Tenants in Blakely development warned water could be shut off over $120,000 bill

May 26—BLAKELY — Notices sent late last week show a borough apartment development owes more than $120,000 in unpaid water bills, prompting Pennsylvania American Water to post warnings for tenants that their service could be shut off.

However, residents at Timber Falls at Blakely said their water bills are included in their rent and shut-office notices left in the door frames throughout the complex have left some wondering if they're on the hook.

"This is ridiculous," said Marisol Perez, 55, who lived in the development since Jan. 1. "How is it possible you are asking the tenants to pay for the water when we have a legal document the water is included in the rent?"

The management company that oversees the development, Rem-Row Real Estate Group, of Newton, New Jersey, stressed this week the bill will be paid. Representatives from the company who responded to inquiries would not elaborate.

"The main concern of the tenants is it will be paid," said David Coleman, a building and maintenance supervisor. "We've assured them they're not getting shut off."

In the May 20 notices, the water company warned service will be turned off on or after June 29. The total amount due is $120,084.83, according to the notices.

"Even as big as this place is, you're not wracking it up in one month," said resident Kasey Rucker.

Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Utility Commission, urged anyone who received a notice to contact the water utility before service is shut off. If they're not satisfied with the information they get, they can call the PUC at 1-800-692-7380.

"If the property owner does not make things right with the utility, the tenants may be able to work something out moving forward," he said.

Lackawanna County assessment records list the property owner as Timberfalls Blakely LLC of Dallas. Rem-Row, listed as the "owner/agent," is who residents said they deal with, according to a copy of a lease agreement provided to The Times-Tribune by a tenant.

A message left late last week for Rem-Row was returned this week by Penny Bair and Coleman, who work for Rem-Row. They said the company invested significant sums into the development in maintenance projects such as new pumps, new boilers and drainage work, since taking over management in February 2019, from Silk Management Group LLC. There are about 100 rentals in the development and all but a handful were occupied, they said.

Coleman acknowledged it is a steep bill, but said it was made worse by water leaks and a few tenants who overuse their water. With the leaks fixed, he said the bill won't get that high again.

"There's not one thing it came from," he said. "We did have some variables in there."

It was unclear when the bill was last paid. According to the shut-off notice, tenants can join together to pay the utility bill for the last 30 days preceding the notice to avoid termination.

"You may deduct your payment to the utility company from your rent due now or from future rent," the notice states. "The utility company will tell your landlord how much you paid for that utility service."

A lease agreement the newspaper reviewed states water is among the utilities covered by the rent. Bair, who said she oversees rent, said that agreement is the same throughout the development.

Susan Turcmanovich, a spokeswoman for the water company, said she cannot discuss individual accounts. Speaking generally, she said if a tenant pays, they can deduct the payment from their rent.

The utility company would still work with the landlord to address the debt, but if they still don't receive payments, they would start the process over again, she said.

Shortly after tenants received notice of a pending termination, they also received a letter from Rem-Row stating they are "aware of all outstanding issues" and are "working diligently to correct them." The COVID-19 pandemic presented "unique and difficult challenges."

Bair said they also have a group of tenants who have not paid rent — totaling as much as $174,000.

"We could be filing and going for judgements on all this but we're not doing that," Bair said.

Some of the residents acknowledged they have withheld paying rent, including Rucker, but said it was because of issues trying to get things fixed.

Others, including Perez, said they pay their rent each month. In considering what to do next, Perez said he may try to organize a community meeting to discuss the issue.

"I think some of these tenants are going to go in an uproar," Perez said.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.