‘It's dangerous:' Tenants at Cobb apartment complex detail history of problems
Shanika Campbell told Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell, she is moving out of the Silver Creek Apartment complex, on Riverside Parkway.
'It's dangerous, it's danger cause kids be running up and down the hallway,' said Campbell.
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Campbell is referring to a ceiling in the lower-level breezeway of her building, that appears to be caving in. Outside of the building, there is a massive tree that tenants said toppled over during a storm last year.
The security gate on the property is broken and numerous mailboxes are also broken. Some tenants told Newell the empty rusted pool has been closed for years.
In 2024, Cobb County officials deemed one of the buildings on the property unsafe, but some residents who filed lawsuits against the owners and property management group refuse to leave.
Tenant advocacy groups have stepped in to help, emailing city, county and state leaders, among other things.
'People don't truly understand what they are owed,' Stan Lucas, COO of Lease Wisely said.
'We just been updating residents to make sure to check their leases,' Founder of We Thrive in Riverside Rentals Association said.
'There have been multiple ownerships and property management changes over the last several years which has led to a lot of confusion a lack of paperwork and a lack of understanding of what those policies are,' Lucas said.
READ MORE: Families who were ordered to leave 'unsafe' Cobb apartments now suing owners, property managers
John Marti is the CEO of EMBA Management Group. Marti said his company began managing the property in 2023. Marti said he goes into distressed properties to turn them around.
He told Newell the Silver Creek Apartments were purchased as a distressed property.
He said revenue has taken a hit, due to a large number of tenants failing to pay rent, a problem he said he and the owners are addressing.
'The apartment complex still has it mortgage to pay, the insurance to pay, the utilities on the property and there's not enough money to pay those bills,' Marti said.
'The current owners have been putting their personal funds into the property to keep it afloat until we can get new investors in to do capitol repairs,' Marti said.
The city of Mableton took over code enforcement in March. Mableton mayor Michael Owens said he and his team have visited Silver Creek Apartments.
'Advised them clearly to clean up the property. Address trash and overgrowth challenges that may be there and if I need to tell them again myself this will not be tolerated,' said Owens.
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