High and dry: State Towers residents lose water over owner's unpaid sewer bills

Apr. 13—SHARON — Anna Martin does not know where to turn after the water in her Sharon apartment building was shut off Wednesday, and there is no indication that service will be restored any time soon.

At least 40 families were left without water service when the Sharon Sewer Authority had water service turned off at State Towers apartments at 632 E. State St. due to non-payment of sewer bills.

"There's some of us who don't have family here and have nowhere to go," Martin said. "I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go. Before too long the apartments are going to smell like sewage but we have no choice."

Building manager Joe Fusco said the water was shut off at the building because the sewer bill has not been paid, and he can't pay it because tenants are not paying rent.

"These people aren't paying the rent because of the Emergency Rental Assistance Program," Fusco said. "Some over a year without payment. ERAP is not paying the money."

Martin and neighbors who live in the building, including Rio Gilchrist and Ruth Clark, say they have paid their rent, which includes utilities.

The ERAP program is administered by the Shenango Valley Urban League and is a COVID pandemic relief program that helps renters pay rent and utilities. The urban league started administering the program last summer. The second round of funding was for $5.5 million.

The ERAP program is ending, however. The county just accepted the last 30 applications this week and Dr. Erin Houston, executive director for the urban league, said previous applications will be processed over the next few weeks.

Houston said that multiple payments were made to State Towers through the ERAP program.

"The checks have cleared," Houston said. "He's received a nice amount."

Houston said that three checks are remaining to be sent to State Towers, but that does not equate to a building full of people waiting on payments.

"Once we send payment to a landlord or utility company, it's on them to apply where the payment is to go," Houston said. "We issue the payment. We've done our part and that's what we will continue to do to the end of this program, with integrity."

Fusco said he paid $3,000 to the Sharon Sewer Authority last month but the utility refused to make a payment arrangement, and had the water shut off Wednesday.

Fusco said he has not been paid for his duties as building manager in over a year but he is still trying to help the people in the building.

Fusco said instead of shutting the water off, the city could have placed a lien on the property.

"I feel so sorry for those tenants. Some of them are really trying," Fusco said.

There are 50 units in the building including immobile elderly tenants and children, Fusco said.

Clark is disabled and raising her granddaughter.

"She can't go to school right now because she can't take a shower," Clark said.

Sharon City Manager Bob Fiscus said the property owners, Sharon Towers Trust LLC, and Fusco, the building manager, have been given several chances to purchase rental licenses, pay the sewer bill, and bring the building up to code.

Fiscus said District Judge Travis P. Martwinski has issued a bench warrant for the building manager for failure to obtain rental licenses, which is a city ordinance.

"He has code violations for failure to pay rental licenses," Fiscus said. "Every rental property has to have a license and be inspected. He's declined to let us in."

Fiscus said the sanitary authority gave multiple notices of shut off 30 days ago.

"The victims are the people who live there," Fiscus said. "It's the property owner and the management that have failed them."

Fiscus said every opportunity has been given for Fusco and the building owner to make payments, and to operate the property in a safe and sanitary manner and it has failed up to this point.

"I can't stress enough the compassion we have for the people who live there," Fiscus said. "We're trying to partner with agencies to help them."

Fiscus said he spoke with Mercer County Housing Authority officials who said the authority has units available to be moved into right away if people qualify.

"We're trying to do everything we can to assist them. We're doing our best to support them," Fiscus said. "We're hoping to take some water up to them in a little while."

City officials delivered 40 cases of water to State Towers late afternoon Thursday.

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com