Apartment residents say they’re being overcharged, Better Business Bureau offers advice
Tenants at Hidden Lakes Apartments in Macon are filing complaints to the Macon Water Authority after they say they were wrongfully charged excessively high water bills.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Tenants at Hidden Lakes Apartments in Macon are filing complaints to the Macon Water Authority after they say they were wrongfully charged excessively high water bills.
On Tuesday, the Macon-Bibb NAACP addressed concerns from renters at Hidden Lakes Apartments who say they received eviction notices because of unpaid water bills that were too high.
“One water bill that I received from a tenant that had filed a complaint with us, her water bill is almost $200 for one month from May 21st to June 30th,” Macon-Bibb NAACP President Gwenette Westbrooks said.
The complaints came one week after at least 15 residents received eviction notices.
Erica Stevens is the Regional Property Manager for Vicinia Property Management, which owns Hidden Lakes.
She says the notices were sent out due to a filing error through a third-party payment system, and most evictions have been dismissed.
As for the pending evictions, Stevens says they are due to non-payment of rent and not related to the water bills.
District 2 Board Member for the Macon Water Authority, Desmond Brown, says he received seven complaints from tenants about being overcharged for water that they didn’t use.
“The issue I’m having is that if you have no meters in these boxes, then how can you distinguish between what apartment A’s usage is from apartment D?” Brown said.
Erica Stevens explained that while individual units are not metered, tenants are charged based on usage per the number of occupants in each building.
So what should you do if you think you’ve been overcharged?
Vice President of Development for the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Macon, Jason Blankenship, says there are steps renters can take to protect themselves from being overcharged or evicted.
“Whenever you enter into a contract with anybody, you always have to do your due diligence, and there are some resources available for anyone who is looking to sign a lease in an apartment or a housing situation,” Blankenship said.
Resources like the Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook outline laws for renters and landlords in the state.
Blankenship advises renters to research property management companies, thoroughly read their lease agreements, respond to eviction notices within the posted date and keep proof of payments like receipts and other documented records.
He recommends renters make payments through a bank, because they offer more protections than other forms of payment.
“You are renting. This is not your space,” Blankenship explained. “At the end of the day, someone else owns it, so you’ve got to be able to prove that you’re supposed to be there.”
Blankenship says consumers should file complaints with the Better Business Bureau before escalating them to legal action. He explained that it’s the BBB’s job to resolve conflicts between consumers and businesses.
The Macon-Bibb NAACP will hold a meeting for Hidden Lakes tenants at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Thursday August, 10 at 6 p.m. Residents are asked to bring their bills and proof of payments.
Brown also encourages tenants to address their concerns at the Macon Water Authority board meeting at 4:30 p.m. on September 7.
