ATLANTA — An Atlanta man who just opened a new restaurant on the city's west end was floored when he opened his new water bill.
The bill for the new restaurant totaled more than $18,000.
Andre Brown opened Kravn Wings in July. He says food is good, business is good, but he has been forced to take the good with the bad.
"Push comes to shove, I've invested too much time and money so I'm going to fight," Brown said.
The balance on the unpaid water bill is $18,061.81. Brown said Atlanta Watershed told him to pay up or be shut off, but Brown said the notice he received is actually addressed to a place called Gutbusters, a restaurant long gone from this location.
Officials at Watershed Management told Channel 2 they are looking into this case, but said the bill travels with the building and that it's the tenant's responsibility to pay it.
Watershed said they are not in the business of tracking down former tenants, which leaves the Brown with an expensive problem that he claims he has not encountered with any other local utility.
"When I got my power turned on in my name, they said, 'Get it notarized and we'll start you from July 1.' When I got my gas on, 'We'll start you from July 1.' When I got my water on, I tried to and they said, 'No. Gutbusters owes $19,000. You have to pay it.' I said, 'I don't have to pay it,'" said Brown.
Brown said he has taken his complaint to Atlanta City Council member Cleta Winslow's office since his restaurant is in her district.
WSBTV
