For the second time in two months, the electricity was disconnected Monday morning at a Greenville apartment complex, after the owners allegedly failed to pay the bill for the facility.
The manager of the Texas United Housing Program complex, 1216 Interstate 30, said she would pay the bill to GEUS, in order to restore power to the facility.
“We will pay their extortion and next month we will see what happens,” said Deborah Kroupa.
But GEUS Consumer Services Manager Jimmy Dickey said the bill had not been paid as of late Monday afternoon.
“And no attempt has been made to pay the past due balance,” Dickey said. “We haven’t heard from them.”
The utility posted notices at the complex September 17, indicating the electricity was to be shut off Friday, due to a failure by the complex to pay the electric bill.
Dickey said the power was cut since the payment was not made by 8 a.m. Monday.
Dickey has previously said the complex has been notified of being delinquent in payments for 12 months in a row.
GEUS cut power to the apartments August 25 and restored the electricity later that day after the delinquent amount had been paid. When reached Monday, Kroupa repeated claims that there are discrepancies in the billings by GEUS on two different meters at the three-building complex, one which reads electric usage at two buildings and a second meter which reads usage at one of the buildings.
Kroupa said GEUS has retained $40,000 in deposits from the complex during the past year.
“The amount we are talking about owing is approximately $4,000,” she said. “They have 10 times that amount in their account.”
Kroupa explained she has complained to the utility on multiple occasions about the problem and has received no assistance, and again said the owners of the complex intend to file a federal lawsuit against GEUS, in the hopes another electric utility will be allowed to operate inside the Greenville city limits.
“The monopoly has to end,” Kroupa said. “You have to have competition to get to the next step.”
Kroupa said she has receipts detailing the payments the company has made on the bill, and also alleged the utility was interfering in the operations of the complex.
“GEUS is aware we have seniors and disabled families,” Kroupa said, alleging officials with the company released confidential information about the account over the phone and encouraged residents of the complex to stop paying rent when it was contacted about the earlier disconnection.
“About 20 people did not pay their rent,” Kroupa said. “They are still here. We have to go through the eviction process. They have no right to interfere in the contracts we have with our tenants.”