Russellville tenants fight water shutoff over landlord’s unpaid bill
RUSSELLVILLE, Ky. (WNKY) — Tenants at Robinwood Park Apartments in Russellville are calling on city leaders to keep their water and sewer service on for good after a planned shutoff over an unpaid bill owed by the property owner was delayed.
Tenants describe problems inside apartments
Patricia Morgan said she has been waiting for repairs since moving to Robinwood Park in 2020. She described mold, cracking walls, damaged floors and other problems inside her apartment.
Then came the notice that water and sewer service could be shut off.
“I said, ‘Oh my God, what’s next?’ But then I said, ‘You know what? I got a God that can fix anything, a powerful God,’” Morgan said.
Landlord about $80,000 behind
The city of Russellville originally set an Oct. 5 deadline because of an unpaid utility account for the 82-unit complex.
The Kentucky Tenant Union identifies Jason Ostro as the investor running Robinwood Park Owner LLC, the company that owns the property.
An open records request reported by the News-Democrat & Leader showed the landlord was about $80,000 behind on the utility account.
“There should be no shut off, period,” said Joe Mosteller, a Robinwood Park tenant union leader. “Shutting off the water for hundreds of people does not help Russellville get paid. It does not put pressure on the landlord.”
Mayor delays shutoff
Mayor Mark Stratton has since said water and sewer service will not be disconnected Oct. 5.
He also pledged three months’ notice before any future disconnection.
Tenant union leader Jennifer Stevenson said the people living there include some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
“This is who we are. We are poor. Disabled, elderly, single moms, and working people who are building power to make our lives better because no one else is going to do that for us,” Stevenson said.
Union calls for city action
The union is asking the city to hold a council meeting and work directly with residents before any future shutoff.
U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker also attended Wednesday’s news conference.
“We gotta celebrate our progress because we know what we’re up against, but at the same time, this press conference is critical because we know that 90 days of an assurance of water and sewage is not enough,” Booker said. “I’m here, not simply as a candidate. I’m a renter. I’m a father of three girls, and I’m angry today.”
Tenants say they want the water to stay on, and they want repairs and accountability from their landlord.
WNKY News 40 will continue following this story and bring you updates as they develop.
