Highbridge apartment tenants fear utilities will be turned off; blame landlord for not paying bill

Tenant Mercedes Escoto received a letter from the utility company that stated the landlord hasn't paid the bills. Escoto and other tenants fear the utilities may be cut off at any time.

News 12 Staff

Mar 30, 2022, 2:44 AM

Updated 922 days ago

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Tenants at a Highbridge apartment complex say their gas and electric could soon be turned off because their landlord hasn't paid the Con Ed bill.
Tenant Mercedes Escoto received a letter from the utility company that stated the landlord hasn't paid the bills. Escoto and other tenants fear the utilities may be cut off at any time.
Escoto tells News 12 she relies on the gas to cook and the electric to help power her mother's oxygen tank.
The tenants say they pay the landlord who in turn is supposed to pay the utility bills.
Escoto says she has lived in the building for 13 years and has no plans to go anywhere.
"We're not going to give him the satisfaction," says Escoto. "This is our building, he bought this building like, what, a year ago? We're not going to give him the satisfaction to throw us out of our own apartment. We're here from the Bronx and we're going to fight you."
Con Ed tells News 12, "When a landlord is in arrears, Con Edison is required to post notices in the building informing the occupants of their protections under New York regulations. Our goal is always to help customers avoid termination of service. We offer a variety of payment plans to help customers get current on their bills."
The tenants say they are working with an advocacy group that plans to take the landlord to court.