Water Softener Companies Place Surprise Liens On Homes Of Military Families

Image Credit: Tracey Nicholls – CSIRO / CC

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Water softener companies are placing surprise liens on the homes of military families according to Clarksville Now.

It all starts with a “free gift” involving a complimentary service, and before long, new homeowners in Clarksville are finding themselves convinced by salespeople to sign up for low monthly payments on water softener and filtration systems that will end up costing them thousands of dollars.

Brianna Gower told Clarksville Now that she was made to feel like a bad mother for not signing up and that the salesman told her that her child would get autism because Clarksville’s water is “so bad.”

When Brianna, 21, moved to Clarksville with her husband Gage, 20, they received a card in their mailbox stating that they had a “free gift” due them. Upon calling the number on the card, she found out that the gift was getting her water tested by a sales representative from a water filter system company.

The sales rep came out to their house and compared the Gowers’ tap water with bottled water, and claimed that their tap water could cause autism due to the chloride it contained. Brianna found the encounter disrespectful and unprofessional.

“He was telling us that we were just trying to kill our kids because the water is so bad and that we are bad parents for not getting a system in the home,” said Brianna.

While researchers acknowledge that environmental factors can contribute to autism, there is no consensus on how much those factors affect or intensify the traits of autistic people.

The condition has been known to have a genetic component since 1977 when the first autism twin study found that when one identical twin is autistic there is approximately an 80% chance that the other twin will be too.

The Gowers were also told they would be poisoning their son, born prematurely, and who they had recently brought home after his stay in the NICU, if they didn’t get a system.

The salesman told them, “It’s not my problem if you guys just want to kill your kid. I’ve watched so many [parents] kill their kids for not getting this system.”

Despite the uneducated comments and scare tactics, the Gowers declined to buy a system and showed the salesman the door.

Another Clarksville resident, Catherine Peterson, 21, did purchase a system. A decision that caused her problems when she later put her home on the market.

Peterson was also subjected to alarming claims about the safety of her water in September 2021 when she agreed to have someone come by and conduct a test.

“This could give your daughter cancer,” is what Peterson was told. While dubious about the monthly $100 payments, her husband encouraged her to sign up. She later discovered a $150 annual payment was also part of the agreement.

The Petersons are a military family and had to move earlier this year. After putting their house up for sale, they found out there was a large lien on the property just four days before closing. 

“We had to pay them $7,300. It was a wild and unexpected amount,” Peterson told Clarksville Now. 

A senior title agent with Governor’s Land and Title says she’s seen around 60 families with similar liens, with only one of those being aware of the lien on their property.

With Clarksville being a military town, many young families move in and out after a few years of living there. The water softener companies, and others – typically solar panel companies and security companies – appear to target younger buyers in general. Those who sign up for such systems or plans are often unaware that a lien will be placed on their home for the full amount almost immediately, the language buried in pages of paperwork.

To add insult to injury, Clarksville Gas & Water (CGW) earned a perfect score on its most recent water system sanitary survey. The survey conducted the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is an unannounced inspection that takes place onsite and in-depth by a team over a few days. Every facet of the water system is evaluated and inspected, ensuring that the city is providing safe and reliable drinking water to its residents.

According to CGW General Manager Mark Riggins, the October survey was the fifth water system sanitary survey since 2010 in which CGW received a score of 100.

Riggins told Clarksville Now that CGW will come out and do a free water test for any resident if they request it.

If you’re curious about what’s in your water you can also visit the Environmental Working Group website and type in your zip code.

To find out if there’s a lien on your property, contact a title agency and ask for a title search.

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.