Water was restored to a Clayton apartment complex Monday, just hours after residents fled their homes after the county water authority made good on its promise to cut off water to the buildings if the owner did not pay a past due bill of almost $100,000.
The Clayton County Water Authority announced at 2:20 p.m. that California-based Red Apple Investments wired a payment of about $68,675 so that water could be restored at Tara Woods Apartments in Jonesboro, the agency said. The payment is about 70% of the $97,973 Apple owed, according to the authority.
Water authority officials said they had been negotiating with Red Apple since last July 2022 on its past due balance. A spokeswoman for authority said the agency and Red Apple are discussing a payment plan for the remaining balance of about $29.355, but she didn’t have any more details.
“We are glad Red Apple Investments made the payment needed to bring water service back for their residents,” Clayton County Water Authority CEO H. Bernard Franks said in a statement. “We hope they will continue working to get caught up on their balance.”
Water is included in the rent for residents at Tara Woods, a mixture of dilapidated one-to-three bedroom garden-style apartments and townhomes off Tara Boulevard, residents and water authority officials said.
The community was listed among dangerous dwellings in an investigative report by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that looked at apartment buildings that landlords had allowed to fall into disrepair and are hotbeds for crime. Problems at the buildings, built in 1969, include 52 code complaints in recent years, issues with gutters, siding, windows and doors and a fire in October 2018 at a vacant building was suspected arson.
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
In addition, a 17-year-old was killed in front of the complex in January 2019.
Early Monday, Clayton County officials and non-profits scrambled to find residents alternative living options in case water was not restored.
“What we did was plan for the worst and hope for the best,” Clayton County Commissioner DeMont Davis said early Monday morning before the water was restored. “Unfortunately the worst came to fruition.”
Breanna Brooks and her mother Patricia Brooks said the loss of water would have exacerbated other issues in the three-bedroom, two-bath home they moved into in March. They pay just over $1,700 a month and just recently was able to use their second bathrooms and months of waiting on repairs.
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
Credit: LEON STAFFORD/AJC
“The apartment has been raggedy,” Breanna said. “There is mold in the bathroom, the ceiling leaks. We weren’t able to use one of the bathrooms for a month and a half because something was going on with the water. There was a leak, the shower wouldn’t turn on, the toilet wasn’t flushing right, it was a whole lot of stuff.”
Chaquanta Haynes said she stockpiled store-bought water after she heard it might be turned off because she didn’t have any place to go.
“It’s not fair that we have to experience this,” she said. “We’re paying our rent on time, why aren’t they paying their bills.”
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