Residents of Henderson townhome complex may get 2 years to pay back repair costs

Townhome owners who need to reimburse the city of Henderson for emergency repairs to their complex’s crumbling water system still don’t know how long they will have to repay the roughly $8,000 each of them owes.

The City Council will consider a proposed plan of eight installments spread across two years.

But Councilwoman Carrie Cox — whose ward includes the Somerset Park neighborhood — on Tuesday suggested giving homeowners one additional year.

The city would charge a one-time fee of $150 with no interest incurred until March 2027, when the last payment would be due, according to a plan under consideration.

Cox said at the City Council meeting that the $1,000 payment that would be due every three months is steep for residents with limited budgets.

“If it is too high and they can’t pay it back, then the very thing that we helped them do by not becoming homeless … will make them homeless,” the councilwoman said.

The city warned residents last summer that they could be forced to leave their units if their private water distribution system wasn’t fully repaired.

Henderson became aware of the crumbling system when staff responded to fix a sinkhole that had begun to swallow a car.

The company that manages the homeowners association financial accounts told Henderson that there wasn’t enough money to cover repairs.

Through the council, the city stepped in by fronting the costs that totaled about $682,000.

More than 85 underground pipes were replaced, and hazardous materials were removed, the city said.

Henderson plans to recoup the costs through liens placed on each of the 85 homes.

Under the proposed two-year plan, on which the City Council hasn’t voted, the first payment would be due in August.

Accounts of homeowners that aren’t fully repaid by March 2027 would be transferred to the Clark County treasurer’s office, which would begin collection efforts that could accrue interest, Henderson officials said.

Councilman Jim Seebock called the two-year proposal “a nice moderate place to land.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.