People living at Vacek Pointe in Fort Bend County, Texas, say the streetlights on their road have been turned off for months, and they are asking questions about why it occurred and whether it might happen once more. The utility company told ABC13 that the bill has now been paid and the lights will be turned on as soon as possible after the station contacted both CenterPoint and the HOA. That is the good news. The bad news is that residents are not satisfied with the fix.
Why the Lights Went Out
The residents moved to Vacek Pointe for a reason: the peace and quiet of the rural area. “We specifically chose this area for the school district and because we thought this area would be very nice and safe for our family,” resident Anastasia Romano told ABC13. The problem with living in the middle of cotton fields is that when the sun goes down, it gets dark. Without streetlights, visibility drops fast. “Something needs to be done before it’s too late and someone gets hurt, something gets hurt, a pet, a vehicle, a child,” resident Jasmine Ramirez explained.
There is nothing theoretical about what is at risk here. One person who lives there spoke of driving home in the dark. “I work nights, so when I come home, sometimes there are people in the middle of the street, and I be having to drive with my high beams because I can’t really see them,” resident Jordan Ramirez said. The darkness creates a real hazard every time someone returns home after dark.
What Residents Pay For
People living there say their HOA dues come to over a thousand dollars a year and are meant to fund streetlights and other shared facilities. Over the last two months, they have been distributing notices and contacting the HOA again and again. They called ABC13 Tuesday morning, and the station then called the HOA multiple times. “It’s always the same thing: ‘Be patient, give us time, they’ll be on in a day to three days.’ Still nothing,” Jasmine Ramirez said.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the HOA responded to ABC13. It said the lights were already switched off when the company assumed management from the builders on Sept. 1. CenterPoint, the utility provider, confirmed the bill has been settled and stated the lights will be turned on as soon as possible.
Who Is Responsible Now
The builders told ABC13 they no longer manage the subdivision and won’t answer questions about it. Now the HOA runs the place, and the people living there want to know what happened to their fees. Romano made her point clear. She said “Everybody has been paying their dues. Everybody wants to know where it’s going,”. “I have four kids. I need to get involved because I’m a part of this community.” The HOA has taken over the management of the subdivision, but residents are left wondering what the HOA actually does with the money they pay.
The sequence of events is simple to lay out:
| Party | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | Paying HOA dues | Lights out for months |
| HOA | Management company | Lights off since Sept. 1 takeover |
| Builders | Previous managers | No longer involved |
| CenterPoint | Utility company | Bill paid, lights coming on |
The Questions That Remain
These families can now breathe easier with their bills settled and the lights restored, yet the relief is incomplete. The question remains: how did this come to pass, and what safeguards exist to prevent a repeat of the situation? The issue is the lack of light. Cotton fields cause the sun to set early, which makes the surroundings turn dark quickly. Strong headlights make driving easier, yet they do nothing to protect people walking their dogs, children playing close to roads, or drivers meeting each other in the dark.
The message from Jasmine Ramirez’s account of the HOA’, which reads “‘Be patient, give us time, they’ll be on in a day to three days'”, is the sole account of how the HOA reacted. Residents have been instructed time and again to hold their ground, and the lights remain off until the bill is settled. The HOA’s response has not addressed the underlying concern about where residents’ fees have gone or how the HOA plans to handle its duties.
What Comes Next
The power will return. The HOA has verified the bill has been settled. Yet the doubts persist. People living in the community want answers about where their fees have gone. They want to know if the organization managing the subdivision can handle its duties well. They also want to know if the electricity will keep working. The situation remains unresolved beyond the promise that the bill has been paid and the lights will be turned on as soon as possible.
The tension in Romano’s statement comes from her wanting to be involved. She has four kids, and she sees herself as part of the community. It makes sense for her to want to step in, especially since the system that was meant to keep everyone safe stopped working. The HOA’s response that the lights will be turned on as soon as possible addresses the immediate problem but does nothing to address the broader concerns about how the HOA manages the community.
Confirmation from the HOA that the bill has been settled does not resolve the outstanding queries.
Source material: “Residents in Fort Bend County subdivision say their streetlights have been out for months,” ABC13 Houston.
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