The PMUA could punish tenants for landlord's failure.
It's not been a good year for the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, and its own heavyhandedness has played a big part in its headaches.
First there was the improperly noticed and back-dated rate increase in January.
Then the fiascos around customer service and making public information easily available.
Now we have the latest news, its foray into federal bankruptcy court in pursuit of monies owed to it by Plainfield Apartments, LLC, one of Plainfield landlord David Connolly's shell companies (see story here).
The filing on behalf of the PMUA by its attorney says --
" ... unless and until such assurances [that the PMUA will be paid in full--DD] are provided, the Debtor should neither be permitted to utilize cash collateral from the apartments, or continue to enjoy the benefits of sewer and solid waste service from the Authority."While it may be within its rights to assert Connolly should not 'enjoy the benefits' of its services, the PMUA is clearly positioning its howitzers on thin ice.
Threatening to cut off services to Connolly really means cutting them off to innocent end users -- Connolly's tenants. Doing so would create both a health hazard and a public relations disaster.
Does the PMUA really need yet one more public relations disaster this year?
-- Dan Damon
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4 comments:
Dan, PMUA certainly is not "Big Bertha".
Sorry that I had not posted my "Of Mice, Men and PMUA" post earlier yesterday or waited to today. I would rather you had called attention to that one rather then Friday's pat on the back.
Why? The issue is bigger than tenants having to suffer. WE the taxpayers are the real vicitims. There are too many unanswered questions.
By the way the verse I quoted is one of my favorites
Dan,
The PMUA has always been about political patronage, a vehicle for employment (which isn't bad) and a vehicle for perks auch as bogus trips. What is offensive is management's failure to provide the service that the PMUA was created for-to keep the city clean. There are always excuses, such as not picking up week-end garbage on North Avenue, no street people on the week-ends and failure to deal with less obvious defeciencies. A well run PMUA would do its job 7 days a week-all well run communities get the job done. And don't say, it would cost more-that's bogus. Plainfieders have paid a price. There is only one option, if the FBI doesn't catch the rascals with their hands in the till, throw the elected officials out of office - for they are the ones that keep Eric Watson, Executive Director of the PMUA & crew in business.
I think it's time the city takes Connolly's properties away and pay his bills. He should not be able to live high in his mansion and big Mercedes, while those of us who pay our rent get screwed.
Connolly is currently renting new apartments in my building, 606 Crescent Ave., under market value and those of us who have bore the brunt of his neglect pay full price.
Some State or "Public" entities can't get enough bar press...and the best thing is that each time stuff like this comes to light you have the top brass standing there with their hand on their butt, jaw hanging to the floor and saying, " but, but..."
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