ATLANTA — An Atlanta apartment complex spent the afternoon handing out checks after a massive fire over the weekend displaced residents.
The fire happened at 1950 Howell Mill Road NW, the location of the Bell Collier Village apartment complex. Bell Partners emailed residents to inform them that it was distributing a $250 check per unit on Thursday and Friday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. to help offset renter insurance deductibles.
"We hope this can offset expenses for temporary housing and/or provide some expense relief for additional support," Bell Partners said in a statement to 11Alive.
But Resident Andrea Rines said that the money isn't enough and that a hotel room costs more than that, especially with parking.
"What is this going to do? And then you took my rent money. So I have to wait until I get paid again. It has been a hassle," Rines said. "It’s just been horrible for me. I’ve been trying not to complain, and I've been trying not to blame the apartments, but at the same time, it’s like you all displaced us. What are you going to do? Are you going to terminate my lease? Are you going to remove me? Like can someone get in contact with me? I can’t just be out and paying for hotel rooms for weeks and weeks."
Rines said along with the check, she was given a sandwich, some coupons and a new contact to try and get some answers. She was one of the first people to show up and receive her check on Thursday afternoon.
"So I found out from Red Cross that, unfortunately, my apartment is completely destroyed," she told 11Alive. "So I lost everything, like everything. And I know material things are replaceable, but I lost everything."
Rines was emotional, recalling that she was on vacation when the fire happened. She said she learned on Thursday her apartment was a total loss.
As for Larry Criss, there still seem to be more questions than answers. The area around his apartment is boarded up.
"The Red Cross basically telling me they can't help me. They can help other people, but there's no assistance for me," Criss said.
Unlike Rines, he said staff told him his unit isn't a total loss. He also received the $250 check.
"This a drop in the bucket, to be honest with you," he said, as he searches for more answers.
"I'm in limbo, no assistance just kind of just put out here to the wolves," he said. "We just need to know whether the units are destroyed or not."
Rines said the one thing she wished she could have salvaged was her dad's obituary.
"Because that’s all I had left from my dad. And it’s like, that’s gone. That’s gone. I can’t replace that. I can replace a bed, but I can’t replace that. That was thoughtful," she said with tears in her eyes. "It’s gone. I will never get that back. It has been a time; it really has. But that’s the only thing I wish I could get."
Rines explained that because she was heading on vacation, she paid August rent early. Now she said she is waiting on the apartment to refund her money.
In the same update to residents, Bell Partners said:
Before you can return to your home, we must determine if it is safe to do so. We are working hard to complete the structural evaluation as quickly as possible and will update you when we have more information. At this time, we anticipate having a better assessment sometime next week on when and how to access your belongings. Except for the parking deck, we cannot allow residents access on site until it is deemed safe to enter by the structural engineer.
Our onsite office remains closed until the building is safe to enter. To reach the site team, please contact us at CollierVillage@bellpartnersinc.com with any questions. You can also reach us at 404.351.1692. Because of the high volume of inquiries, we will make every effort to reply within 24 hours. We appreciate your feedback.
Thank you for your continued patience during this time. We will provide another update to you tomorrow.
Bell Partners said it will also distribute the $250 checks on Friday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at 1881 Howell Mill Road in Atlanta. It added it is evaluating other support and resources it can provide for residents.