Utility threatens to cut off Valle Vista’s electricity

HARLINGEN — A notice taped to an entry door at Valle Vista mall says the facility’s electrical power is scheduled to be cut off Monday for non-payment.

The posting to Valle Vista Mall Realty Holdings LLC by Reliant Energy, required under the rules of the Texas Public Utility Commission, reads: “Electric service to this establishment is scheduled for disconnection on 09/30/2019 due to non-payment.”

A spokesperson for Reliant confirmed the document is legitimate and that the company has been working with mall operators regarding their account’s past-due balance.

Further details were unavailable, she said, due to rules regarding customer privacy.

Mike Kohan, owner of the Kohan Retail Investment Group which bought the mall property for $12.5 million just over a year ago, said Friday it was a misunderstanding which will be cleared up quickly.

“That was just a, you know, error on our part,” Kohan said. “We just took over the mall with the deposits and everything. Everything is OK.”

Kohan’s company specializes in turning around struggling mall properties and has acquired more than 25 of these facilities across the country.

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