MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis property manager is, again, under fire, accused of using one tenant’s information to pay for another home’s utility bill.
Donavan McNutt, CEO of McNutt Property Management, has made headlines before. He faces charges in environmental court for failing to provide two tenants with things like air, heat and hot water.
WREG met with former tenant Rachael Watkins, who filed a police report a couple of days ago. She said she went to MLGW to look into turning on utilities at a new rental property when she learned she had an outstanding balance for a property where she has never lived.
She claimed the account was opened on behalf of McNutt’s company.
“My landlord? I feel violated. How am I supposed to trust my important information with anybody? At least your landlord, you’re supposed to be safe,” Watkins said.
Watkins said she could be anywhere between $2,500 and $5,000 in the hole.
She showed WREG a copy of the police report.
MPD is investigating Watkins’ claim that McNutt’s company ran up utilities in one of his rental homes and charged her for it.
That home is on Eastport, which is not the place Watkins rented in 2012.
Regarding McNutt’s trouble with other rental properties, WREG pulled his court records. He still has some charges, like failure to comply with orders and failure to maintain.
McNutt met with WREG Monday.
“We’re getting a lot better at getting our maintenance issues taken care of,” he said.
He claims he does not know how this most recent issue happened, but he believes it is a misunderstanding.
“It may have just been a mistake from my past secretary who may have accidentally sent the wrong file to MLGW,” McNutt said.
He said he is working with MLGW and Memphis Police to resolve that bill for Watkins.
He said he is also trying to fix past mistakes. He plans to appear in environmental court for those other charges Wednesday.
Watkins said she is going to move out of state and stay with a family member, since she said she reportedly cannot get utilities turned on here.