The state has filed a complaint against companies linked with Chattanooga developer John “Thunder” Thornton’s Jasper Highlands project, alleging violations of Tennessee law over its water system.
The filing by the Consumer Advocate unit of the state Attorney General’s office said the company Thunder Air and another entity failed to obtain a certificate of public convenience and necessity concerning the system at the mountaintop housing development near Kimball.
The filing said the companies failed to pay annual inspection fees and charged rates not approved by the Tennessee Public Utility Commission.
It also alleged the companies violated state law when the water system withheld or refused to provide service to customers.
The filing said that Robert Schlenkert, a Jasper Highlands resident, filed a complaint with the state Department of Consumer Affairs last November stating that the developer refused to provide water service after the resident paid a $2,150 hook-up fee. It said that Schlenkert has been forced to purchase water and transport it to his home for daily use.