Owners Pay $3,500 Water Bill To Temporarily Stall Mass Eviction In Cash-Strapped 76-Unit Condo Complex; 60+ Apartments In Some Stage Of Foreclosure

In Margate, Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports:

• Dozens of Atlantic Palms residents so far have met demands from Margate city officials to pay their unpaid utility bills -- prompting the city to not evict them, a city official said. Atlantic Palms residents paid their last water bill, about $3,500, before a July 2 deadline, allowing them to stay in their homes, City Manager Frank Porcella said.

• More than 60 of the 76 units at Atlantic Palms, at 400 NW 65th Ave., are in different stages of foreclosure, officials said. The homeowners association couldn't afford to pay bills, so residents faced being forced to leave their homes because of health concerns from lack of water.

• Residents' next utility bill is due July 11, Porcella said. For nearly a year, the city helped Atlantic Palms residents by adjusting fees and making other accommodations. Residents also owe about $15,000 in back payments for garbage and water bills, an issue Margate city commissioners are expected to discuss during a July 14 meeting, Porcella said.

Source: Margate condo residents pay latest utility bill to avoid eviction.