Maple Heights condo tenants left in cold after gas bill goes unpaid

MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio (WOIO) - Imagine having no gas, as temperatures plummet to single digits this week.

That’s the reality for an entire condo building. And it’s not because something is broken.

Tenants and landlords say no one paid the gas bill!

Tenants at the Maple Park Drive Condos got a notice this week from Dominion Energy, telling them they’re shutting off their gas. That means no heat or hot water, with temperatures in the teens.

Kim Merrill has resorted to using a space heater, turning on her oven, and boiling water on her stove.

“It’s been on all night because it’s freezing in here,” said Merrill.

The gas shutoff isn’t because of a faulty gas line or broken part. It’s because the bill hasn’t been paid. The bigger problem is these residents say they don’t pay the gas bill, the Maple Park Condominium Owners’ Association does.

The Maple Park Condominium Owners’ Association is a group of landlords that residents say pay for their gas, lights, water, and any other maintenance.

However, when these people try to get in touch with them about the unpaid bills, they dodge their calls.

“No one wants to talk,” said Merrill. “No one wants to explain anything. No one wants to tell you anything.”

Talk about frustrating and confusing.

So Merrill called us.

We tried calling one of the board members of the association after getting their contact information from a landlord.

We didn’t get an answer and the board member’s voicemail box was full, so we couldn’t leave a message.

As for the city, after calling and visiting in person, we finally heard from someone in the building department. They say they didn’t send an inspector because the problem stems from an unpaid bill.

So is this Maple Park Condominium Owners’ Association really leaving these residents in the cold and getting away with it?

We won’t stop digging until we get an answer.

Landlords and tenants held a meeting at St. Andrew Eastern Orthodox Church across the street from their condo building at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Landlord Beatrice Wilson said there’s a $10,000 balance on that gas bill and they need to pay $2,400 just to get it back on.

They’re working on getting that money from tenants as soon as possible.

Wilson also said the Maple Heights Building Department is aware of the issue and plans to bring it to the attention of the Attorney General’s Office.

Wilson says tenants can call the national helpline 2-1-1 to get more assistance.

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