ATLANTA — Many viewers reached out to 11Alive after we ran a story on property management company Progress Residential not paying water bills on time for several customers at the Cascade Parc subdivision.
The company, which manages properties - not just utilities, left some residents without water for at least four days until 11Alive took action.
Now, several of you say you’ve had similar experiences with that same company. Ryan Boyd reached out shortly after that story ran.
"This is my three-inch, three-ring binder," she showed 11Alive reporter Paola Suro. "As you can see, it is literally packed with paperwork on this situation."
Court documents show Progress Residential took Boyd to court for not paying thousands of dollars in rent. But she said when she tried paying her rent for September through November on the company’s portal - like she normally does - she was locked out.
"This is the third time I've been to court with them for an eviction that should not have happened only because I couldn't get someone on the phone," Boyd said.
Boyd says she then tried to pay through cashier’s checks - which she sent us as proof - but the company sent them back to her without explanation. When she tried to get ahold of them on the phone, no one answered.
So 11Alive reached out to the company to ask about her situation. After we did, Progress Residential told us it was able to work with Boyd and that she's now in good standing with them. Boyd confirmed that as well.
“I have never owed them money. I want to make that clear," Boyd said. "Throughout all of COVID, I always paid my rent, I always had a job."
Brian Braun lives in Winder and also complained of problems getting ahold of the company when he had issues with his septic tank and air conditioner.
“I made two complaints to them through their email that I’m pretty sure no one checks and they never got back to me. So here we are," he said. "And the technicians that Progress Residential sends out can’t do nothing for you."
The Better Business Bureau's website shows that Progress Residential has a “pattern of complaints," and that many of those complaints center on billing issues and slow responses to addressing maintenance concerns.
The company, which is based in Arizona, received more than 1,000 complaints in the last three years through the BBB, with more than 600 cases closed in the last 12 months. The BBB explains that once the customer is in agreement, the BBB will close its case.
"The resolution is then reflected on the BBB business reliability report positively. If a business has made an attempt to resolve the issue, or feels it was not at fault, the complaint will enter an arbitration or mediation process," the website explains.
Earlier this year, the company told the BBB it plans to eliminate this "pattern of complaints," and provided 11Alive with the following statement:
"Our residents are our top priority, and our customer care team works diligently to ensure we are meeting and exceeding our resident needs and will continue to communicate transparently with our residents to resolve any concerns that arise."
We also contacted the company about Braun's issues. They were very receptive and confirmed that his problems were also resolved.
"But no one wants to take accountability. No one wanted to take blame," Braun said. "They pretty much just wanted to pass you off to the next person as soon as possible."
We continue to hold the powerful accountable. If you need help finding resolutions to any issues or company, contact us here.