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5 On Your Side: Discontinued trash pickup service at Edinburg apartments leaves tenants concerned

5 On Your Side: Discontinued trash pickup service at Edinburg apartments leaves tenants concerned
4 months 5 days 47 minutes ago Wednesday, July 17 2024 Jul 17, 2024 July 17, 2024 9:25 AM July 17, 2024 in News - Local

People who live at an apartment complex in Edinburg say they've had enough.

Their trash hasn't been picked up for months, leaving a bad smell and a potential health hazard. This was the problem at the M Road Apartments that pushed tenants to contact Five On Your Side.

Trash was overflowing from both dumpsters, and the smell had those in the area concerned.

"We had been passing by for the past two months and noticed that the trash was really, really high," Ursula Puente said. "The flies and the smell, it was really ugly."

Puente's older sister has lived at the complex for years and said the maintenance had never been this bad.

Trash as far as the eye can see, Puente contacted the owners of the property, Sunland Property Management, but her calls went unanswered.

Channel 5 News did reach out to Sunland and were able to speak to them on the phone.

"We are already taking action, because we know of this. We are actually talking with the city, this is what they told us. If the renters fill it to the top, then it is our responsibility, right? So we put the order in to get rid of the excess trash," the management company said.

But the city of Edinburg said that wasn't the case. They said new management took over earlier this year.

In a statement, they said, "the apartment complex owners discontinued the trash pickup service in January 2024. Unfortunately, the complex owners have not yet reopened or established a new service account."

The city of Edinburg did send out a courtesy cleanup crew. They felt it was needed because of the potential health concerns.

"You are paying a lot of rent money, all these tenants pay a lot of rent money. The renters should have that place very clean," Puente said.

Channel 5 News did reach out to the new owners to let them know their next steps, but they didn't answer our calls. A message was left to let them know to reestablish their trash cleanup account with the city.

For now, the property is cleaner than it has been in months.

Read the city's full statement below:

"The apartment complex owner discontinued the trash pickup service in January 2024. Unfortunately, the apartment complex owners have not yet reopened or established a new service account. We want to assure residents that the City of Edinburg Solid Waste Department is ready to assist. For the safety of residents, our City of Edinburg Solid Waste Department will conduct a courtesy cleanup today to promptly clean the area. We encourage the owners to initiate service immediately by contacting us at 956-381-5635. We are here to assist residents and ensure their service needs are met."

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