Renters told to vacate apartment building, say they’re fed up with unsafe conditions

Residents held a news conference Wednesday about conditions at the Silver Creek Crossing Apartments.

The complex received a letter saying that residents in one building may need to vacate.

”It’s very exhausting, it’s very frustrating. It’s like they want your money, but they don’t want you,” Georgia Tabb said.

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Tabb has lived in the complex for years and says conditions have gone downhill.

She says her apartment flooded late last year, and it took months for the complex to fix the problems.

”Mold and mildew, water leaking from upstairs,” Tabb said. “This whole living room carpet, this bedroom, this hallway, was flooded.”

On Wednesday, Cobb County said they were in the process of sending a violation notice about building 600 in the complex.

An earlier inspection found several areas on the exterior of Building 600 exhibiting severe cracks in the stucco. The report said the cracks suggested either extensive water intrusion damage or problems with the structural integrity of the foundation.

Additionally, the report noted significant wood rot within the exterior of the structure, which poses further risks to safety and/or structural integrity.

“We got an order, to our surprise, that the residents need to vacate the units,” John Marti, CEO of the EMBA management group, said.

EMBA took over the property last September.

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He says the business often takes over distressed properties and tries to turn them around.

”We are taking over a client base that has been mismanaged and poorly treated for years,” Marti said.

He says the management group attempted to fix issues at Building 600 twice, but problems with mold have popped back up. He said the complex planned to gut the lower floor on Friday as part of an agreement with the fire marshall.

Marti says turning around a property takes time and money.

“Is it where the residents want it to be? No. Is it where I want it to be? No, but it’s light-years better than what it was before,” Marti said.

Residents say they are tired of waiting and need the changes now.

”Somebody needs to take responsibility for how we are living because we shouldn’t be living like this,” Tabb said.

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