Jackson Jambalaya

 JXN Water ratcheted up the pressure on the Blossom Apartments yesterday. 

JXN Water Receiver Ted Henifin and JXN Water sued Blossom Apartments, LLC and its owner, Tony Little in U.S. District Court.

Little bought the apartment complex in 2018.  The new owner "began making payments for water and sewage service.  The complaint alleges the defendants paid under its water/sewer account administered by the city of Jackson.  The account was billed to Woodbine Road Partner LP, the previous owner.  However, the bill address was the apartment's physical address. Blossom became "seriously delinquent in its bill by over $113,000 by October 2020 when the account was still administered by the city of Jackson. 

The complaint states Blossom made only seven payments, less than $22,000, between October 2020 and November 2022 when JXN Water assumed control of all water/sewer accounts.  

The delinquency continued through 2023 and 2024.  Blossom made two payments in early 2023 but stopped paying.  The defendants failed to make a payment on the utility bill from March 2023 to July 2024.  The balance Blossom owed was now $466,975.  

JXN Water began trying to contact Little seeking resolution.  The attempts to reach the defendants allegedly failed so JXN Water shut off the water service to the apartment complex in July 2024. 

Little emailed JXN Water on July 12, 2024 and allegedly admitted he owned the complex and that it was delinquent on its bill.  Little asked for a repayment plan.  JXN Water turned the water back on after Little paid $57,000 in August 2024.  However, JXN Water's success was short-lived as Little "broke the agreed payment plan" and did not make any more payments from September 2024 to July 2025. 

Little finally established an account for Blossom in its own name. JXN Water transferred the balance to the new account.    

JXN Water claims Blossom owes $533,444 in unpaid bills. The defendant owes an additional $133 The complaint lowers the boom on Blossom: 

31. A portion of the prior balance was attributable to consumption prior to the appointment of Mr. Henifin as ITPM. This amount has been placed in a suspended account. While still owed by the account holder, Plaintiffs have invoiced Defendants only for the active balance.

32. Defendants have made no effort to remedy their months-long default, even though, on information and belief, residents of Blossom Apartments continued to pay rent, including water and sewer utilities, through at least June 2025.

33. Defendants have retained those rent payments, for years, but have not remitted payment to JXN Water for water and sewer services.

34. To the contrary, Defendants now contend that they have no obligation to pay. Rather than accepting responsibility and working cooperatively with Plaintiffs to resolve the matter, Defendants have engaged in a deliberate and systematic media campaign to deny liability and to assert that the obligation for payment rests solely with the complex’s prior owner, Woodbine Road Partners, LP, which sold the complex to Defendants in 2018.

The complaint charges the defendants with breach of contract, action on open account, and unjust enrichment.  JXN Water asks for actual damages of $418,973 as well as interest and attorney's fees. 

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate.