Apartment residents face water and gas shut off due to unpaid bills by management

INDIANAPOLIS — In less than ten hours, hundreds of residents living at two southside apartment complexes will lose their access to running water because of unpaid bills.

Those bills were supposed to be paid by management of Berkley Commons, and Capital Place Apartments. Citizens Energy says shutting off residents' water isn't something they want to do but are forced to because of high unpaid bills.

Residents say it's not fair and shouldn't happen.

"We are being punished for something we had no control over and potentially our kids being removed," said Ashley Kelley.

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Kelly is among many residents worried about what's going to happen if their water is shut off.

"I am concerned that we are not going to have water for our kids," said another resident.

"They have to have working utilities, water, electricity all of it and DCS comes in here we don't have running water can they pull our kids away from us? We don't know," said Kelley.

Citizens Energy says the amount owed by both properties is "just too large."

WRTV Photo/Rachael Wilkerson

The company has been in communication with the management company JPC but a payment agreement wasn't reached.

Citizens Energy says it will begin shutting water off Thursday around 9 a.m.

Gas will also be shut off at Capital Place.

Brenda Jones has been living at Berkley Commons with her son for four years.

"It's horrible. Now, we are going to have to find somewhere else to stay," said Jones.

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She's frustrated her family is put in this situation when she has receipts showing she's paid her rent water and gas on time.

"It makes me mad because everybody in here pays our rent. We pay 50 a month in water and then we pay the gas bill to the office and they are supposed to pay Citizens Energy," she said.

Disconnect notices were placed on residents' doors Thursday.

Since then Ashley Kelley says, residents haven't be able to get answers.

"Nobody wants to tell us anything and I think that is the thing that's most frustrating," she said.

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We reached out to management at Berkley Commons.

MCPHD has a social worker and resource liaison within its housing department who can refer tenants to local resources they may need, including alternate housing.

The mayor's office says it's aware of this situation and is working with residents and the health department.

We also reached out to the Department of Child Services to see what this means for families. The department says it's looking into it.