Jonesboro residents evicted over landlord's unpaid bills, officials say

JONESBORO, Ga. - Residents at the Tara Woods Apartments in Jonesboro woke up to a nightmare Wednesday.

"We woke up this morning to the commissioner, the officers, telling us we have to evacuate. The water has not been paid," Rosheeka Randolph told FOX 5's Deidra Dukes.

Tenants learned Wednesday, the Clayton County Water Authority would be shutting off the water off at the Jonesboro complex on July 10.

"We're paying. The water comes with our rent, so you can't tell me that the water is being cut off," Randolph exclaimed.

A spokesperson with the Water Authority told FOX 5 they've been working with the property owner, who now owes almost $98,000 in unpaid water bills, since July of last year.

The utility company initially posted a notice on June 14 informing tenants that the water would be turned off on July 5.

Tara Woods Apartments in Jonesboro

They decided to push the date back to next week, to give residents more time to move out, after discovering someone had removed the sign.  

"Now [that] the water about to get cut off, we all running around wondering what we going to do," resident Alicia Fowler explained.

Residents said they've been getting the runaround from staff at the complex since the first notice was posted in mid-June.

They claim management told them they were working to resolve the issue.  

Angry tenants insist they wouldn't have paid July's rent had they known what was going on.

"It's just been a back and forth, and I want answers," said resident Nakeysierra Hall. I don't want to be left in the dark."

Residents will have to move out once the water is turned off, but those we talked to say they don't know where they'll go because they don't have money to relocate.

FOX 5 reached out to management at the complex Wednesday afternoon. They had no comment.