ATLANTA -- Residents of an Atlanta apartment complex have been given two more weeks to find a new place to live if the complex owners don't come up with over half a million in unpaid water bills.
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management announced on Monday that it will wait two weeks to cut off water to Sierra Ridge Apartments. After that, residents will be without water because the owners of the complex allegedly haven't paid their water bill in some time.
"The owners of the Sierra Ridge apartment complex have been collecting rents from tenants every month, but h ave not paid their water bills for more than 2 years," Mayor Kasim Reed said in a statement. "The property owners have declined to take advantage of the billing amnesty program and have refused to enter into any payment agreement to resolve the debt."
The complex now owes more than $690,000 in past-due balances across four accounts connected to the apartments.
Watershed Management authorities are now working with other municipal offices to coordinate resources for residents if they end up before forced to move. At this point, only 40 of the 291 units on the property are occupied.
On Tuesday, the current owner of the complex has issued a statement in response to the city's decision:
We are pleased that the City of Atlanta restored water service just a short while ago. It is extremely unfortunate and unfair to the residents of Sierra Ridge who have suffered, especially since the past due balance at issue is the result of fraudulent activity by the past owners of Sierra Ridge and questionable billing practices by the City. The living conditions of our residents at Sierra Ridge is our foremost concern and we have been working diligently and fairly for over a year to resolve this matter from the moment we learned of it. Until just a few days ago, we felt we were working together with the city to resolve this and other issues. It is our intention to continue with our plans of improving this apartment complex, and collaborating with others to improve the entire surrounding neighborhood as well. We sincerely hope that the City will work with us – and not against our residents – to find a solution which benefits everyone involved
