SAN ANTONIO – The City of San Antonio and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) are considering a plan to keep both the water and money for bills flowing at apartment complexes with large overdue balances.
SAWS CEO Robert Puente said when “delinquent, deadbeat apartment owners” get too far behind on the bills, the new proposal could allow the utility to put a lien on the property.
The hope is that it will add pressure on the owners before a complex-wide shutoff affects renters who have been paying their bills.
In June 2024, the water utility shut off at four rental properties due to unpaid bills totaling more than $280,000.
A SAWS spokesman said three apartment complexes paid enough to get the water turned back on within three hours. A fourth, smaller location did not have anyone living in it, so SAWS plugged the meter.
In July 2024, the utility warned another six apartment complexes it could face a service shutoff, but SAWS later said it wouldn’t happen because of resolved payments.
Shutoffs of entire complexes are rare. According to Puente, June 2024 was the first time in his 17 years at the utility that it had happened.
The shutoffs bothered San Antonio City Council members, who said it unfairly punishes renters for the apartment owners' unpaid bills.
Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) and Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7) asked the city to consider steps to prevent future shutoffs.
The council’s Municipal Utility Committee on Tuesday advanced a staff recommendation for dealing with the largest overdue balances, including the ability to slap it with a lien, to a full council vote.
“Some of these properties have lenders who don’t want to see liens on properties. It really forces the issue,” Development Services Director Michael Shannon told KSAT.
Shannon also recommended giving complexes an automatic “point” toward being forced into the city’s enhanced inspection program.
However, a complex needs to be hit with three designated citations within a six-month period to be forced into the “Proactive Apartment Inspection Program” (PAIP), which requires complexes to pay for their own additional inspections. A water shutoff alone wouldn’t be enough to force it into PAIP.
SAWS has already increased its communication efforts with delinquent apartment complexes, including attempts to give renters a heads-up.
“They need to know that their water may be shut off, so that (they) ‘get ready for it. Fill up your bathtubs. Get some jugs of water,‘” Puente said. “But we did at one time. It worked and we haven’t had to do it again. And so, we’re really feeling that we’ve got the attention to a lot of the delinquent, deadbeat apartment owners to start paying their bills.”
Currently, there are nine complexes in the city that owe at least $50,000 to SAWS. Puente said they’re 20 to 24 months in arrears.
“They just ignore us, and we can’t do anything about it,” Puente said. “The only real tool we have is cutting off service.”
Liens would be a hurdle for the apartment owner when they try to sell the property.
While Puente said they “may not be the best...tool,” he told the committee SAWS would use them “when appropriate.”
“Also, I do want to emphasize that what we really, really need is for these owners to just communicate with us,” Puente said. “They need more time. We will give them more time. It’s not a question of a bill collector, a collection agency, demanding something or otherwise. It’s just, communicate with us, reach an agreement with us and you get off that list."
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