Powerless, seeking answers

By Don Shilling

BOARDMAN — With power to their apartment shut off since Thursday, a Boardman couple is powering their refrigerator through an extension cord that runs to another apartment.

Chad Partlow, 31, and his fianc e, Kim Eskridge, 35, say they have been unable to reach the landlord to find out why the power has been shut off. The six-unit apartment building is at 5061 Aravesta Ave., near Shields Road.

Coming to their aid is the landlord’s aunt, Lois Greene, 64, who lives in the apartment above the couple. An extension cord runs out of the window of the lower apartment and into Greene’s apartment.

The lower apartment doesn’t have power because it is connected to the line that runs the hallway lights and the washer and dryer. Power to all those were shut off Thursday, Partlow said. The other tenants pay their own electric bills, so they have power.

Partlow said he’s being careful with the extension cord, only plugging in the refrigerator and a small table lamp.

“If we want to run the vacuum, we’ll have to unplug the fridge,” he said.

Greene said she has been unable to reach her nephew, George Roberts Jr. of Hubbard.

The tenants say they’ve been trying to reach him since Monday, when a notice was posted on the building’s door that the water would be shut off in three days. The tenants said the shut-off date has been extended to later this week.

They also said Dominion East Ohio told them the natural gas was going to be shut off April 9 for lack of payment.

The water and gas service are to be paid by the landlord.

Roberts could not be reached to comment on Saturday by phone and a visit to his house.

Also in the building is Roberts’ cousin, Richard Grundy, 34, and his wife and four daughters.

Greene, who pays $440 a month for her two-bedroom apartment, said she has spoken with her sister, the mother of the landlord, but hasn’t received any satisfactory answers.

“We laugh because what are we going to do?” Green said. “I’ve cried, but what is that going to do?”

The tenants said they have paid their rent through March. They haven’t paid this month because of the problems with the utilities. Greene said they talked about paying the water bill themselves but were concerned that the landlord could have the water shut off anyway.

All of the tenants said they are considering moving but are frustrated because a new landlord will want a security deposit and first month’s rent.

shilling@vindy.com