Texan woman’s son reports that apartment complex stops demanding payment for broken lease following her death

A family in San Antonio recently faced a distressing situation when an apartment complex attempted to collect over $15,000 from them after their 91-year-old loved one passed away in June. The son of Sandra Bonilla, David Naterman, revealed that The Lodge at Shavano Park issued a bill for breaking the lease and even sent a collection letter pressuring them to pay for approximately one year left on the lease. This action came to light after WOAI-TV reported on the matter.

Fortunately, the apartment complex decided to retract its demand after the issue gained media attention. Naterman expressed that the complex claimed sending the bill was a mistake, suggesting that they would have pursued legal action had the situation not been publicized. Despite this development, The Lodge at Shavano Park did not provide a response to inquiries from The Associated Press.

Following his mother’s passing, Naterman recounted that discussions with the leasing manager resulted in an agreement to retain the security deposit for cleaning purposes and to terminate the lease. Nonetheless, the unexpected bill and threat of legal action arrived later, causing distress to the family. Bill Clanton, a consumer and debt collection attorney, stated that under Texas law, landlords are typically entitled to only around 30 days of rent from the deceased person’s estate if proper procedures, such as vacating the property and sending a termination notice, are followed, which Naterman assured had been done.