You cannot cut power or water off even if you cover the bill. Is what I was told by the women I had to go thru at the courthouse to get some folks old of one of my rentals. I paid the water and they run the bill up on me and stopped paying rent on top of that. I could not cover both the rental payment and water so water got cut. I told her I had to turn it off cause I could not fund it. She said they could that as a means of putting off the eviction notice at court and give them more time if the judge felt like giving them more time to leave. I also learned that if you can not get in touch with them for more than 14 days in a row. You must leave note and have proof of said notes that you are trying to get in touch with them. Then you can change the locks and have there stuff moved to a storage place of your liking and must keep it for 6 months so they have a chance of getting the stuff back if they pay you in full. After 6 months you can sell the stuff off to recoup your money. In my case the shi_T they had was worth less than putting it on the truck to move. All this was done thru me talking with the court house lady and my lawer leading my way and sending a few letters out letting them know what had took place. They said they where going to sue me and we'd here from there attorney on the matter. She would not give up a address for the paper work to be sent from the lawer and some personal items to be returned (ie remains of one of them mother). As you can bet we never heard a word out of them. They did show up at my house one night about 2 in the morning wanting a key to get into the trailor to get there stuff. I told them there stuff was in storage and nothing of theres was at the trailor. I thought the husband was going to jump on me but his friend I guess had noticed I had not moved my right arm from behind me which held my 357 snubbie. Glad I didn't have to hurt anyone and this set of renters was the stick that broke my back on the slumlord business.LOL I sold all the land with three livable placements on it. I was done with that.