ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — People who live at The Morgan apartments were left in limbo Tuesday. The company that owns the complex has until August 21 to pay its utility bill or residents could face possible water shut-offs.
In the meantime, the city is urging residents to find other places to stay.
“We want to be clear – an interruption of services is a last resort action for the city,” said St. Petersburg Public Information Officer Samantha Bequer. “While the city may not take immediate action to suspend services on August 21, residents at this property are strongly encouraged to begin exploring alternative housing solutions as soon as possible.”
Residents at two apartment complexes owned by Lurin Real Estate Holdings – The Morgan and Elements on Third – got a notice from the city on August 1 letting them know the company hadn’t paid its utility bills on the complexes.
“We have exhausted all attempts to resolve this issue with Lurin Real Estate Holdings LXIV LLC over an extended period of time with no success,” read the notice from the city’s billing and collections customer service.
The notice said service was scheduled to be interrupted on August 21 unless the city was paid.
Bequer said that as of August 19, the outstanding balance for Elements on Third was paid and there was no longer a risk of water being shut off to that property.
“I’m very, very relieved, to put it mildly,” said Thomas Sullivan, who lives at the complex.
Sullivan is retired and said he likes living at Elements on Third in part because of the walkable neighborhood. If his water was shut off and he had to leave, his plan was to stay with his sister in the West Palm Beach area.
“I don’t drive, so getting over there would be time consuming by public transport, but I was going to say that I might have to do it,” he said.
It’s uncertainty that people who live in The Morgan still face.
“Well, it’s ridiculous,” said William Kilgore, an organizer with the St. Petersburg Tenants Union. “It’s an example of this out-of-state, corporate landlord, like we see so many times over, coming in here, buying up properties. They don’t have an interest for their tenants.”
The tenants union held a meeting Tuesday night for residents of the complexes to see how the group can help them organize. Kilgore said it would be a mistake for the city to shut off utilities.
“All that’s going to do is make the property untenable, and you’re going to have mass eviction on your hands. So, that’s not an option. The city has plenty of avenues it can take to put pressure on the landlord,” he said.
“The City will explore all possible avenues to resolve this situation and to protect impacted tenants,” Bequer said via e-mail.
She said St. Pete’s Guide for Renters is a good tool for residents to learn about available resources.
Sullivan said he’s not considering moving after the shut-off scare, but it has impacted him.
“Our homes are our sanctuaries. They are our safe spaces, and the people that we let into our homes is – it’s a matter of trust. But I really feel betrayed,” Sullivan said.
Lurin spokesperson Ed Cafasso said in a statement, “We are pleased to have completely avoided any service disruptions for households at The Elements, as we had promised. We continue to work constructively with the City regarding its records for water use at The Morgan. We hope to resolve that issue as well, again without any impact on residents. The comfort and well being of our residents are our top priorities, and we thank them for their patience as we move past these challenges to make sure they have safe, comfortable apartment homes.”
Sarah Blazonis
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