Macon leaders call for criminal investigation into Crystal Lake’s treatment of renters

Several Macon-Bibb County commissioners have called for an investigation into Crystal Lake Apartments after about 70 people were displaced due to unsafe living conditions.

Three commissioners say they want Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to look into Crystal Lake management’s treatment of renters, including past due utility bills by management, and why some residents say they were paying rent on time but were being told they still owed money.

The request was made following a special called meeting Thursday where updates were given on the status of the west Macon complex, and questions were posed about how the county should respond if a similar situation arises.

One renter at Thursday’s meeting said there’s been a revolving cast of property managers over the last year and issues with maintenance and disputes over rental payments were the norm at Crystal Lake.

Commissioners Al Tillman, Virgil Watkins and Elaine Lucas emailed a letter Thursday to Sheriff David Davis formally requesting an investigation.

“If people were paying their rent and the power and water was included and you’re taking people’s money, I think it’s what we would call theft-by-conversion,” Tillman said following the meeting.

Crystal Lake’s rent also covers water and electricity, however a notice was given this week that the water would be shut off on March 20 unless management catches up on overdue bills.

The property owner owes $39,858 and $22,301 of that is past due, according to the Macon Water Authority.

Since the Feb. 8 evacuations, little headway has been made so the displaced Crystal Lake residents could move back into their apartments.

Water and electrical issues impacting about 20 units have still not been finished, county manager Keith Moffett said.

Another problem could arise if the water is shut off for the remaining residents who are still living at Crystal Lake.

“If they do cut the water off to the complex, we view that as a public safety issue,” Moffett said.

Crystal Lake Apartments is owned by Crystal Lake Holdings, LLC, based out of Alpharetta. The last known owner did not respond to a Telegraph email left on Thursday afternoon.

A March 1 court hearing will be held about some infractions cited at Crystal Lake, according to Moffett.

Meanwhile, as a way to help some of the residents find new housing, Macon-Bibb County could re-allocate $22,000 into an emergency grant program. That money would be used to assist with first month’s rent, moving costs or other housing needs, said Chris Floore, assistant to the county manager for public affairs.

“The Rapid Re-Housing program could help them get into new housing and is used differently depending on the individual’s circumstances,” he said.

Thursday’s meeting also included questions about whether the county should have done more proactive enforcement to prevent what happened at Crystal Lake.

“It’s like when all heck breaks through, here we are now,” Tillman said. “My question is how we avoid it going forward?”

Lucas said it’s upsetting to hear about the dire situations from Crystal Lake renters.

“We are servant leaders and we’re supposed to provide for the welfare and well-being of our constituents,” she said. “In this situation, we just feel like we haven’t been able to do that.”

Thursday’s meeting came a week after a town hall brought out dozens of Crystal Lake residents.

In response to the evacuation, various people, community organizations and others rallied to gather donations and offer assistance to those were displaced.

There is also an online fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe website that as of Thursday afternoon had raised $1,722 for Crystal Lake residents.

This story was originally published February 21, 2019 at 4:54 PM.