The trial for an Edgewood auto repair shop owner who is accused of allowing people to use vehicles that customers left to be serviced, and for not completing work even after customers paid for it, was postponed Tuesday at the last minute, due to the owner’s “declining health,” his attorney said.

Glenn Waters, 55, of Bel Air, owns Waters Auto, at 1009 Edgewood Road, which is listed on Google as “permanently closed.” Waters faces more than a dozen civil lawsuits from former customers and businesses such as Heritage Honda of Bel Air, and is charged in Harford County District Court with felony theft of $1,500 to under $2,500; two felony counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle; theft $100 to under $1,500; unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle; and two counts of appropriate property without consent.

Waters was scheduled for a trial Tuesday, but his lawyer Douglas Phillips told the court that Waters texted him at 2:30 a.m. to tell him that his “ports from surgery” were “leaking” and that he had to seek medical attention and was unable to attend the trial.

Phillips explained that Waters had “numerous organs removed” and though he was not hospitalized at the moment, Waters was in and out of medical care and on heavy medication.

The defense requested the trial be postponed, which prosecutors objected to due to numerous prior postponements, because of the last-minute request, and because prosecutors had four alleged victims present in the courtroom, ready for the trial.

Harford County District Judge David Carey called the circumstances “unfortunate” and apologized to the alleged victims. He ruled that the trial would be postponed to Jan. 21 at 9 a.m. in Harford County District Court.

Outside the courtroom, Phillips told the alleged victims that Waters had filed for bankruptcy, lost his home in foreclosure, got divorced, underwent a major surgery and is in declining health. Phillips returned keys to two former customers and said he is not making excuses for what Waters did, but emphasized his client’s serious health conditions.

“It’s always an excuse from Mr. Waters,” said Jerrold Williams, a former customer of Waters Auto who said he paid Waters for work that was never completed. “This feels terrible because it’s so drawn out.”

Waters’ charges date back to the summer when a customer took his Honda Accord to Waters Auto for repairs and then reported it stolen to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office after weeks of no response from Waters. License plate reader databases showed the vehicle at locations other than Waters Auto Service, and a man told police that Waters let him use the customer’s car while his own car underwent repairs, according to court documents.

Another customer, Ravyn Paquette, paid $1,177 for repairs to her vehicle then reported the vehicle stolen when it also went missing from the shop. Police later found her vehicle, which Paquette said was “in worse shape than before and not drivable at all.”

Paquette said her car has been out of commission for months because of Waters and that she hoped he would admit guilt in court so she could move on.

“I do have empathy, I feel bad for him, but honestly, I have three kids and my car is how I get to work,” Paquette said. “I was living paycheck to paycheck before and now Christmas is coming up and I have been having to put money into my car and it is very inconvenient for me and my kids. He probably knew he was sick beforehand and decided to do, not just me, but everybody, this way.”

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