TULSA, Okla. — The past-due water balances at two Vesta apartment complexes have been paid, avoiding potential shutoffs that would have affected countless residents.
Shoreline Apartments residents received notices earlier this week showing Vesta Realty owed more than $148,000 for water service, with a past-due balance of $106,924.
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Across the street at Vesta's Lakeside Place Apartments, another notice showed an additional $47,846 past-due.
"Water is a basic necessity," said Shoreline resident Shaun Blalock. "You can't survive without water."
Blalock said he was shocked by the amount owed, especially since he and his roommates pay their bills on time.
"Where is all this money going that everyone's paying?" he asked.
This isn't the first time. Blalock said his family and his roommates have received multiple water shutoff notices over the past four years.
"My dad's gotten many emails about the water bill notice and cut-off notice possibilities," he said.
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Vesta owner Marc Kulick told 2 News Wednesday that Shoreline's balance has been paid and said Lakeside would be current in the coming days.
The city confirmed Shoreline's past-due balance was received but said they haven't gotten payment for Shoreline's remaining balance or anything for Lakeside as of Wednesday afternoon.
A city spokesperson said Vesta is "one of, if not their biggest offender for paying at the last second," but because they ultimately pay, there's little the city can do.
For residents like Blalock, the repeated cycle creates uncertainty about their housing situation.
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"They need to take care of business because there's a lot of families here that depend on having a place to stay and this is one of the only places that a lot of these people have to go right now," he said.
While frustrated, Blalock doesn't have anywhere else to go.
"No, we don't have any other options right now," he said. "We don't have the money to be able to move. We'd be homeless. We'd be on the street."
Kulick said he understands the notices cause stress for residents and plans to stay current on bills going forward.
The city said they're looking at ways to make future situations less stressful and more informative for residents.
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