Cibolo residents regain water after co-owner pays $8,150 to settle debt

Shady Meadows Mobile Home Park in Cibolo restored water service to its residents on Wednesday after a dispute over unpaid utility bills forced a shutoff. The interruption lasted more than 24 hours, leaving long-time tenants without running water.

Treva Carpenter, a co-owner of the property, stated that she paid the city out of her own pocket to resolve the immediate issue. The final payment amounted to $8,150. This sum covered an agreement with the City of Cibolo to restore service by Wednesday. Carpenter also committed to paying an additional $6,000 toward utilities by the end of the year.

Carpenter attributed the shutoff to a $22,000 water bill that has remained outstanding since 2023. She blamed her business partner for failing to make payments on that account. According to Carpenter, the accumulated debt triggered the interruption that affected all residents of the park located off Farm-to-Market 78.

Julie Phillips, a resident who has lived at the property for more than 20 years, reported the water problem to Carpenter on Tuesday. Phillips said she contacted the co-owner to alert her to the loss of service. The restoration brought relief to Phillips, though she expressed concern about the long-term stability of the utility connection.

Phillips noted that she has no savings available to move if the water issues persist. She hopes to remain at the park but worries that another shutoff could force a difficult departure. Her uncertainty reflects the financial strain placed on tenants during the outage.

Carpenter told KSAT that some tenants had also fallen behind on their rent payments. She said multiple renters owed thousands of dollars, which contributed to the difficulty of reducing the overall utility balance. The combination of unpaid rent and the high water bill created a financial gap that Carpenter had to bridge personally.

Tenants discussed the possibility of foreclosure on the property. KSAT could not independently confirm that claim. The current situation leaves residents with working water but ongoing questions about the financial management of the park.