Landlord Sued: Tenants Say They Are Charged Illegal Water Fees

GERMANTOWN, MD — Residents of a Germantown mobile home park sued their landlord Wednesday, saying they are charged illegal water fees, with some totaling more than the cost of their rent each month.

The suit was filed by CASA, an advocacy group that works to create opportunities for Latino people and immigrants in the mid-Atlantic region, on behalf of the 28 residents. The lawsuit says Middlebrook MHC, LLC fails to "properly maintain water systems, fail to monitor and inspect the residents’ water usage to identify abnormalities in usage, charge residents hundreds of dollars per month in water bills, and threaten to evict residents for nonpayment of rent when the residents complain that the defendants are not living up to their contractual, statutory, and common law obligations."

Patch left a message with Middlebrook MHC and Horizon Land Management — the defendants in the case — and will update this story if they respond.

CASA said the high fees began in 2018, when management changed and new water meters were installed. That's when water bills spiked, they said, with some totaling near $1,000 per month.

Berta Bonilla said in CASA's statement she has received bills with incorrect summations, rates, and amounts of water usage. Her family's attempts at using as little water as possible have been futile.

“The water bills would reach as high as $800 a month! As a house cleaner and single mother of four, these water bills have forced me to make tough financial decisions for my family, which have gotten worse during the pandemic,” said Bonilla in a statement released by CASA. “The possibility of being evicted from the home I’ve lived in for 15 years was frightening, for not paying my water bills on time was frightening. I am here today to demand accountability and answers. No one should ever have to pay such an outrageous amount for water bills.”

Another resident said her family has taken some measures to reduce their water use, such as buying bottled water for cooking and drinking, and doing laundry elsewhere.

"For the last three years, the residents have been abandoned, discriminated against, and taken advantage of by loopholes within the housing system, all while paying the heavy price of high water costs and more," said Ana Laura Garcia, tenant’s association president of the Middlebrook Mobile Home community, in a statement from CASA. "I speak out today on behalf of the 200+ homeowners to demand accountability and transparency. Our families cannot bear the burden anymore."

The mobile home residents have received support from local officials, including County Executive Marc Elrich, County Council President Tom Hucker and Maryland State Delegate for District 39 Lesley Lopez.

"I salute the residents of the Middlebrook trailer park for fighting for their families and in that way fighting for our broader community," said Elrich in the statement from CASA. "It is time for the owners of the property to meet residents and eliminate the outrageous charges that they confront."

The residents at Middlebrook MHC don't have large lawns or swimming pools, and many are working actively to conserve water, CASA said. One family's water bill claimed they had used 51,000 gallons of water that month — that's 400 gallons per-person per-day, roughly 350 gallons over the daily average, CASA said.

“Unfortunately, the people who are the most vulnerable are the most exploited,” said Lopez, the Maryland State Delegate for District 39, in the statement. “How possibly could a family in a mobile home use up three swimming pools worth of water?”