TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Water Department confirmed that a full payment was received for residents at an apartment complex in Tampa after they voiced concerns that their water could be shut off.
Earlier this week, residents at the Delmar Apartments in Tampa told ABC Action News they received a letter from the City of Tampa stating they haven’t received payment from the company responsible for payment of their utility account and have exhausted all attempts to fix the problem. The letter said there would be an interruption of services on May 21 unless they are paid.
Residents said they had paid their bill monthly. A Water Department spokesperson said in a statement that for months, they’ve attempted to work with the property owner to fix a growing balance for unpaid utility services, but despite repeatedly reaching out, they’ve gotten no payments, and the account remains significantly delinquent.
On Friday, Tampa Water said they received full payment from the parties associated with the apartment complex.
"Shutting off utility services is the absolute last resort, and we never want to doo it," said Rory Jones, Department Director. "But when accounts go unpaid, we have a responsibility to ensure that the financial burden doesn't fall on other ratepayers who rely on us to manage the system responsibly."
Ed Cafasso, a spokesperson for the Delmar Apartments, said the water services will not be interrupted.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
