Residents living at the Coronado Project Apartment Complex in East Lubbock were without water Friday afternoon, after the City of Lubbock shut off services “due to non-payment.”

The City announced the decision in a statement, saying that officials “made several efforts to work with the property owner, but following several extensions, the bill remains unpaid.”

Mayor Dan Pope said on Friday that the City “reached a point where we’ve got to follow through with city ordinances that require that if somebody doesn’t pay,w e take certain action.”

“It’s unfortunate,” Pope said. “Nobody wants to be in this spot.”

Frank Morrison, who has owned the property for approximately three years, acknowledged that he was behind on bills.

“We are behind on our water payment and our electric payment,” Morrison said. “I asked the city to hold off on shutting off our water… and they refused.”

As Morrison was explaining the predicament, the former owner of the property arrived to the neighborhood, and engaged in a profanity-riddled argument with Morrison.

The former owner requested his name not be used in context with our story. According to court records, Lester Payne filed a lawsuit on behalf of his company against Morrison over the Coronado Project.

“We sued him one time, we worked out another deal for new payments and he made 3 or 4 more payments,” the former property owner said. “He comes back and says ‘everything was bad when I bought it so i don’t have to pay anymore’… so it’s all my fault?”

“The city condemned this side because you didn’t run it right. You were making people live in a slum,” Morrison said to the former property owner.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not going to discuss that,” he replied.

“Why don’t you leave?” Morrison suggested.

“I don’t have to leave,” the man responded. “You need to get down there any pay the d*** electricity and water for these people tonight. That’s what you need to do, instead of trying to have little pity-a** bake sales, and trying to show everybody how goodie-two-shoes a former Lubbock Councilman is. A sorry m***** f***** is what you are.”

Morrison said he expected to be able to raise the money by the beginning of next week.

“We are helping some of the most needy in Lubbock,” Morrison explained.

“I expect by the first of the week that I will be able to raise the funds because we have supporters in this community and across this state, and I believe that we will be able to raise the funds to get the water turned back on,” he added.

“The fault lies on one person and that’s Frank Morrison,” said the former owner. “He’s just coming up with B.S. excuses as to why he hasn’t done what he says.”

“I’m not asking the city to give away water, I’m not asking LP&L (Lubbock Power and Light) to give away electricity. I’m asking them to give me a little more time to pay my bill,” Morrison added.