Article Courtesy of Channel 12 CBS NEWS
By Mike Magnoli

Published August 17, 2016

WEST PALM BEACH — Low income families in a condo complex are living without any water. The city has ordered them to leave, but many say they have no place else to go.

This crisis is happening because the homeowners association of the property is apparently in financial trouble and the primary owner was the subject of a federal investigation.

A CBS12 crew was inside a unit Friday, it's incredibly sad and scary for the families unsure of their next step.

“I believe it's been three days this is the second time it's been shut off,” said Lisa Henne. Lisa and her daughter Savanah live in the Green Terrace condos -- they've only been here since April, but the sign on their front door is from the city. It says the whole complex is uninhabitable, they need to be out by next week.

“We have a dog, we don't know where we are supposed to go, none of my friends can house any of us because they are all living in one bedroom apartments,” Savanah said.

Inside the Henne's home right now, there is no water from the sink, using the toilet involves two buckets, and the boxes of bottled water are adding up.

“It’s horrible,” Lisa Henne said.

Here’s the backstory:

The city administrator says the homeowners association hasn't paid outstanding water bills-- they owe more than $30,000. So the city cut off water to the complex.

Meantime, there’s a lawsuit filed by three tenants against the owners.

There's a lot of bad blood stemming from allegations of improper renovations, allegations about shady tactics of managers trying to price people out.

When we called the property manager, Sandra Martinez, she told us no comment and hung up.

No call back from the manager's lawyer.

Lisa Henne says many tenants feel the cut off water' is retaliation for the lawsuit.

We found out a lot after we moved in. We have to be out by the 22nd, if not they're going to board everything up, we're going to lose all our furniture, we're going to lose everything.”

The attorney who represents the tenants in the lawsuit says there's an emergency court hearing Monday morning.