NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville condominium community is facing an uncertain future after its homeowners association filed for bankruptcy, leaving residents worried about losing basic services — including water.
Harding Glen Condominiums' HOA filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the end of June after running into serious financial trouble. At the time of the filing, the association had more than $550,000 in unpaid dues and other money it was owed, much of it months overdue and difficult to collect.
The HOA also had its own bills piling up, including about $80,000 owed to Metro Water, more than $7,500 to Waste Management, and $90,000 to a law firm — on top of an unresolved Metro demolition order tied to two buildings.
Condo owner Justine Parker-Jones said the situation weighs on her.
"Sometimes I assume the worst before I assume the best. We need to be aware of all the possibilities," Parker-Jones said.
The setup at Harding Glen is unusual. While it is a homeowners association, only a fraction of the owners — like Parker-Jones — live on the property. Most units are rented to working-class families.
Parker-Jones said she believes many renters are being kept in the dark.
"The owners don't tell their renters what's going on," Parker-Jones said. "Because if they did, they would lose their renter right away. And they want that money right up until the end."
Parker-Jones' husband served on the HOA board for a decade, making her familiar with the challenges the community has faced — from multiple fires, including suspected arsons, to roads that have fallen into disrepair.
"We call that Lake Harding Glen," Parker-Jones said of the potholes. "When it rains, and they all fill up, it's Lake Harding Glen."
But it is what comes next that concerns her most.
HOA fees previously covered services like water and trash pickup. When trash service stopped after the bankruptcy filing, residents were provided a dumpster. Water is harder to replace.
The entire property shares one meter, and according to information provided to the HOA's bankruptcy attorney, the water bill alone runs between $10,000 and $15,000 a month. HOA fees stopped being collected after the bankruptcy filing.
Parker-Jones said she and her husband have been setting money aside in case it is needed.
"We've set aside our HOA fee, so that if somebody says we need the HOA money, we've got it," Parker-Jones said. "I don't know about the other owners."
I asked Metro Water Services what all this means for residents worried about losing water. Officials told me the utility created a new account after the bankruptcy filing, now someone, or a group of residents, needs to step forward and put the account in their name, similar to when a new tenant starts service at an address.
Parker-Jones said she hopes the community can find a path forward.
"I really worry about people, and I just want to know that everybody has a home," Parker-Jones said.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at hannahcanhelp@newschannel5.com.
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