After more than two weeks of living without running water, tenants at a Lubbock mobile home park finally saw the miracle of indoor plumbing return—thanks not to repairs or decency, but to a judge threatening to toss the property owner, Austin Hughes, in jail. Apparently, jail time is the only plumbing service that gets results around here.
City inspectors first shut off the park’s water back in October after finding sewage bubbling up from the ground, an overflowing dumpster, and a pool that had basically become a mosquito resort. Residents were left hauling water just to shower and flush, while Hughes blamed a shady plumber who “ran off with his money.” (Insert “sure, Jan” GIF here.)
Judge Dill gave Hughes until November 7 to restore water or go directly to jail—do not pass Go, do not collect rent. Miraculously, water was restored just in time. But tenants say the park still looks like a post-apocalyptic junkyard: trash piles, threats of power shutoffs, and utilities in the landlord’s name that may or may not get paid.
Meanwhile, Thunder Sun’s bankruptcy case was dismissed, and Hughes has gone conveniently silent—again. His tenants are still stuck paying for “full service” utilities that seem to turn off whenever he forgets how to adult.
At this point, maybe Lubbock should just install a revolving door between bankruptcy court and Thunder Sun’s leasing office.
https://www.kcbd.com/2025/11/11/thunder-sun-homes-tenants-get-water-restored-after-court-threat/
