Residents of Marietta apartments forced to move after car crash, fear homelessness

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Some families say they’re being forced out of their homes after a car crashed into their Marietta apartment building.

Their lives were turned upside down when a car came down a hill and crashed into the side of the building, knocking out a power box that was connected to several homes.

Families told Channel 2 Action News Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell that management only gave them a couple of days to move out.

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A row of units at Arbors at East Cobb apartments are pitch black because of the crash.

A sticker on the back of the car says “Please be patient, new driver.”

The driver told police the brakes stopped working.

One tenant says the only assistance they received since the crash was from the American Red Cross, but after the money ran out they’ve had to figure things out on their own.

Tenant Blanche Lipscomb said she is currently living out of a U-Haul truck.

Some neighbors told Newell that management eventually offered them a smaller unit, but only if they signed a new lease and agreed to another credit check.

“It’s just not enough room for me,” tenant Treasa Derby said.

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Lipscomb feels like her back is up against a wall.

“I work from home, I’m losing income. I’m afraid we will end up homeless,” Lipscomb said.

First Communities, the management company for Arbors at East Cobb, issued the following statement:

“Six apartment homes were impacted by a car crash that significantly damaged the utility power box disconnecting electrical power to these units. Management provided solutions in an attempt to have power restored to prevent displacement. Unfortunately, power cannot be restored without the involvement of the local power company to repair and/or replace the power box. Our team has been working with these residents to transfer them to new units onsite based on current availability. An offer to cancel their leases so that they can find alternate housing has also been extended. As with any tenancy, a lease contract must be in place for the benefit of both the resident and landlord. Management has reached out to these residents to offer further assistance until the units are restored.”

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