E. Point landlord pays water bill; evictions averted

Residents of the Terraces at East Point apartment complex will not face immediate eviction for a second time this week Friday, now that their landlord has paid an overdue water bill, city officials said.

The owner of the 78-unit complex off Langford Parkway owed $13,657.61, city spokeswoman Mechelle Brown said. The complex has carried a balance on its water bill since last March, she said.

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Pouya Dianat /pdianat@ajc.com

Four-year-old Maciri McGhee (in blue pajamas) watched City of East Point workers shut off the water at the Terraces at East Point apartments. His mother is pregnant and has four other children.

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On Thursday afternoon, the landlord paid the city what was owed plus penalties and reconnection fees, for a total payment of $19,597.87.

The owner, whose identity was not available, had attempted to pay $6,000 with a check Thursday but was turned away because he had bounced a previous check. City policy says after a utility bill payment is returned, future payments must be made with certified funds such as a money order, Brown said.

Tuesday night, the city shut off water service at the complex. The following morning, the fire department issued notices saying residents had to move out because the buildings did not have water.

Late Wednesday, the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness arranged to have the water restored for 48 hours so residents could have time to find other housing, said department spokeswoman April Majors.

“We did not want to see the city of East Point put these people out,” Majors said. Still, the county had no plans to step in a second time if the landlord didn’t pay the bill by the close of business Friday.

The county Department of Human Services had been working with residents to find temporary housing, Majors said.

Brown said the city posted warnings throughout the complex 24 hours before the water was turned off, but many residents said they didn’t see them.

“We didn’t get any kind of shut-off notice — nothing,” said 22-year-old resident Quaneisha Pittman. Pittman is eight months pregnant with her sixth child.

Wednesday evening, a resident apparently tried to turn on the water himself, prompting two East Point police officers to respond and secure the scene. Two men in East Point uniforms appeared to put a lock on the apartment complex’s water main.

An East Point utility worker guarded the water main Thursday morning.