By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Pay your bill, keep the service. That’s generally how using public or private utilities works. That is not necessarily the case at Sunflower Estates, the mobile home and RV community long known as Finer Mobile Home Park on the west edge of Great Bend. The property serves approximately 50 mobile home and RV residents, but without individual water meters for each property, all residents are now under threat of having their water shut off.
“I’ve reached out to the city, and the city said there’s nothing they can do about it,” said one tenant. “I’ve reached out to code enforcement, and code enforcement says there’s nothing they can do about it. I feel like my hands are tied. As a tenant, I feel like I shouldn’t have to be going through all these issues, but we’ve got no help. It’s almost like nobody cares.”
The tenant admitted to being slightly behind on payments, but said his last water and sewer bill totaled approximately $42. He said tenants are being asked to take extraordinary measures to knock down the property’s total bill that is several thousand dollars.
“The company themselves told me we had until (Feb. 13),” the tenant said. “They called me and were like, ‘Is there any way you can take a loan out, or a loan against your car, or you borrow from your taxes, or from your 401(k)? Because we really need to get this paid.”
While this tenant was given the Feb. 13 date, he said others around the property were told that if bills were not paid in full by Feb. 9, the city would be shutting off water to the property on Feb. 10.
“The ones who only owe a little bit, that’s not fair to us when others owe a substantial amount,” the tenant said. “Why’d you let it go unchecked so long? Why would you let them skate by that long without doing something about it?”
Sunflower Estates, located at 5501 9th Street in Great Bend, was purchased in early 2025. A chamber ribbon cutting was held at the facility last October. A press release from the event said the new owners are dedicated to restoring pride and community spirit to one of Great Bend’s longest-standing manufactured housing neighborhoods. The new leadership team is investing in upgrades, improving management, and providing flexible homeownership and RV living opportunities designed to help working families and travelers alike feel at home.
Sunflower Estates has not responded to an email request for comments about the potential water shutoff.