PRAIRIE RONDE, La. (KLFY) -- In Prairie Ronde, one resident is frustrated with the Prairie Ronde Water System due to the company expecting her to pay the previous tenant's bill.

Whitney Ponthieux, the homeowner, said, "Water won't be hooked up unless someone pays the new deposit at $225, plus the unpaid balance. It's water, it's a utility, it's life sustaining, and I can't get it because I won't pay what someone else used?"

Ponthieux said the confusion began right after she purchased her home. Once the water company told her about the remaining balance, Ponthieux and her landlord searched for the previous tenant, but the search was unsuccessful.

Any attempts to clear up the issue with the board of Prairie Ronde Water Systems were also unsuccessful.

"I talked to the president of the board, and he said basically we don't care who pays it, the board isn't going to lose out on money," Ponthieux said. "You don't get to transfer the billing responsibility to me from someone that I don't even know exists because you just feel like it. That's not ok."

Ponthieux said billing for the balance should have been sent to the previous tenant before she moved in and forcing her to pay the balance is unethical.

"What I think about is like AT&T, they recycle phone numbers," Ponthieux said. "So, if I change my number, whoever they give it to next pays my phone bill? You guys send the bill in someone's name. They asked for my driver's license, then y'all asked for his driver's license, so you have his information. So, send it to collections, do like every other place does."

Even as Ponthieux pays the bill, she hopes the company will eventually change their policies to avoid these incidents in the future.

News 10 has reached out to the Prairie Ronde Water System regarding their billing process but has not heard a response as of news time.