BEAUMONT, Texas — Residents of a Beaumont mobile home park will be able to follow CDC hand washing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic after a judge ordered that their water service be restored.
Water service to the Forest Hollow Mobile Home Community was shut off last week leaving residents without water for the second time this year.
At the end of January, residents spent several days without water after the city shut off water to the mobile home park for failure to pay the water bill, according to file stories.
At the time, City of Beaumont Chief Financial Officer Todd Simoneaux told 12News that the park's owner, Southern Choice Properties, owed the city more than $47,000 in past due water bills.
"We've had multiple correspondences with them about their water bill not being timely," Simoneaux told 12News at the time.
The park's water was also shut off in Nov. 2019, according to file stories.
The park's owner, Southern Choice LLC, went to court late this week and requested a temporary restraining order and injunction forcing the city to turn the water back on, according to court documents.
Court documents show Judge Baylor Wortham signed the order at 6 p.m. Saturday giving the City of Beaumont 24 hours to restore water to residents at the mobile home park.
Judge Wortham granted Southern Choice a temporary injunction and restraining order against the City of Beaumont until April 11, at 9 a.m.
The order states that the City of Beaumont cannot disconnect services during the COVID-19 pandemic and until billing issues are sorted out.
“If the court does not issue the temporary restraining order, Plaintiff and the residents of Forest Hollow will be irreparably injured without running water in their homes,” court documents states.
Outside of practicing social distancing, authorities have been encouraging citizens all over the world to wash their hands.
“Specifically, the lack of running water could result in loss of life and prohibits hand washing and proper hygiene during the COVID-19 health disaster," the order stated.
As the number of coronavirus victims grow in the U.S., federal and local officials have placed orders in efforts to slow the spread.
Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick recently ordered Southeast Texans to limit gatherings to 10 or less people in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
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