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No water, no shelter when property owner give notices to leave

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UPDATE The Baton Rouge Water Company says it received payment for these properties and the water is no longer being turned off on August 7. The next water bill is due in several days.

BATON ROUGE - Tenants living in some apartment buildings in Melrose East got a surprise this week when they found some paperwork taped to their doors. The property owners and on-site manager have not been responsive to their requests for more information.

Aurora Curtis got a "Past Due Notice" from the City of Baton Rouge. It is addressed to Melrose II residents and says that the complex has a delinquent balance on its sewer/solid waste user fee account and the property owner has been notified. As a result, the water service will be disconnected on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

"I don't know what's going on," Curtis said.

All of her neighbors got the same notice. When she called and texted the property manager, she didn't hear back. The property owner, Sunquest Properties, couldn't answer her questions either.

"The young lady that answered the phone told me they no longer had anything to do with this property," Curtis said.

Across the street at Melrose I, Daniel Davis also got the disconnect notice. He also got a note from the property manager saying he had to move out by the end of August. Everyone in his building is being told to leave.

"Where it all went south and where it went wrong is when you put on the note August 31, it looks to me like the water should be on until August 31," Davis said.

The office on the property is closed. A note taped to the door says it closed on July 21. The number left to call was not answered Tuesday morning.

Davis and Curtis say the writing has been on the wall. The trash dumpster is overflowing and the grass hasn't been mowed. Davis says he's been doing it himself along with another tenant for the last three months.

"At the end of the day you're still receiving rent money, though," he said.

Many tenants living in Melrose I and II have been staying there for years. They say that this is not the right way to treat people. Davis says the least they could do is keep the water on until the end of August.

"People still might be here until the 31st, you still need to have running water here until the 31st at 12 noon," he said.

Tenants are looking for new places to live, but say the process will take some time.

A woman answered the phone at Sunquest Properties Tuesday afternoon. When asked if she had any further information about Melrose I and II she said she did not and then hung up the phone.

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