ATLANTA — The owners of the condemned Forest Cove Apartments will now have to pay a fine to the City of Atlanta after a judge's order.
Phoenix Ridge, the owner of the complex, will owe $7,500 in court-ordered fines for reportedly violating several of the city's housing codes. The owners were fined for issues such as broken windows and vacant units to standing water, damages and debris.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens previously said residents have dealt with the following:
- Pests
- Rodents
- Caved in floors
- Sewage overflow
- Boarded doors, windows
- Mold
Phoenix Ridge owns Forest Cover under the larger business structure of The Millennia Companies. A spokesperson explained the relationship of the entities, stating that Phoenix Ridge is a part of Millennia.
It comes after the City of Atlanta along with prominent attorney Benjamin Crump announced plans to sue Millenia, on behalf of the residents that lived there, over the conditions in October. Phoenix Ridge filed its own lawsuit against the city just days before the city decided to file suit, claiming it has "been unfairly painted as villains with respect to their involvement with Forest Cove."
The apartments were first condemned in December 2021 with the last of its residents moved out last year. An ongoing battle between the owners and the city has since ensued after residents moved out.
Felicia Morris, who goes by Peaches, previously told 11Alive that raising two sons in the Forest Cove apartments was nearly impossible.
“It was hard… it was so hard... couldn’t sleep we had rats, we had roaches,” said Peaches. "To talk about it makes me want to cry, 'cause the condition we had to go through, and I had to fight so long."
In a statement in response to the court order, below, Phoenix Ridge claims the city is trying to "pry ownership" of the apartments from them. A spokesperson for Mayor Andre Dickens' office said in a statement that the fine is the "latest example of Millennia’s disregard for the conditions at the property and the negative impact they have on the Thomasville Heights community."
See both statements below.
Phoenix Ridge statement
The imposition of fines by the City of Atlanta Municipal Court is the latest result of the City's attempt to pry ownership of Forest Cove from Phoenix Ridge by exerting financial pressure to further the City's own redevelopment plans -- which will not see the rightful residents of Forest Cove return to their community -- rather than exercising its power of eminent domain. The fines result from citations issued in May, which were heard in October, relating to conditions at Forest Cove that the City has had a contractual right to secure since March 2022 and the court-ordered ability to do so since September 2023. The City has continued to disregard its authority to secure the Forest Cove property, however. Rather than operate in the best interest of those living in the Thomasville Heights community by securing the property, the City prefers to pursue nuisance fines and ignores that but for its own actions, the residents of Forest Cove would have already returned to the neighborhood and be living in modernized homes. The City’s steadfast refusal to do anything to secure the property highlights that it was unnecessary for it to block Phoenix Ridge’s development plans by first obtaining the demolition order, after having approved the issuance of building permits to Phoenix Ridge, and then refusing to lift it once the Forest Cove residents were relocated, as it had agreed to do. Through our lawsuit, filed in federal court, we seek to hold the City accountable for its unconstitutional taking of the property.
Mayor's Office statement
The judge’s recent ruling to fine Millennia for the code violations at Forest Cove is the latest example of Millennia’s disregard for the conditions at the property and the negative impact they have on the Thomasville Heights community. Under Millennia’s ownership, the property has continued to deteriorate, creating a public safety hazard with fires, violent crimes and the like continuing to occur on site. Millennia has abandoned their responsibilities to be a good neighbor and a responsible property owner by allowing this to occur under their watch.
Again, because Millennia had little to no regard for the humanity of these families, the City stepped in to provide critical support and services, including:
- Contributing $9.1 million to relocate nearly 200 families
- Ongoing access to wraparound services like childcare, workforce development training and home coaching.
- Partnering with Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta to cover rent and utilities for residents—even though Millenia continued to collect rent and subsidies from residents and HUD.
As the Mayor has previously said, while not a City-owned property, this is a City of Atlanta problem, and he was compelled to take action. The Administration will continue to pursue all measures within its power to bring into compliance any property owners operating properties that impact our residents’ safety.
In addition to the latest court ruling, the Mayor recently announced a class action suit in coordination with civil rights attorney Ben Crump to pursue justice for the residents of Forest Cove and other residents in Millennia properties around the country facing substandard housing conditions.
The City also recently adopted a Thomasville Heights neighborhood plan that outlines the path forward for the neighborhood. This new plan paves the way for new mixed-income housing and key amenities in Thomasville Heights by leveraging the 80+ acres of publicly owned land in the area. The new housing will ensure that all former Forest Cove residents will have an opportunity to return to Thomasville Heights and live in safe, quality housing.