ATLANTA — Residents of a northwest Atlanta apartment complex are angry with the owners of the complex for keeping them from their personal belongings since a fire tore through their building four months ago.
Some residents told Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes they have even seen people stealing their stuff out of their homes.
“Everything that I own was inside the apartment,” one neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told Fernandes.
The fire broke out early in the morning hours at the Allen Temple Apartments.
Everyone made it out safely but they didn't have time to grab any of their belongings
“It was actually my young son’s birthday,and he didn't have on nothing but a Pamper (diaper),” the neighbor said.
Only a portion of the building burned thanks to firefighters who put the flames out quickly.
One woman who lived on the second floor, where the flames never reached, thought she'd be able to grab some important things.
“Computers, flat screens, bedroom sets, nothing was touched,” the woman said, asking not to be identified.
She said property owners never let her in to the apartment.
“Ever since March we've been trying to get in here to get our stuff, and it’s like nobody ain’t really hearing us,” the woman said.
She said neighbors watched people take their stuff.
“People have been breaking in there, stealing our stuff and walking out,” the woman said.
Neighbors told Fernandes they have asked property owners to board up the doors on the apartments to keep the thieves out.
“I rolled past here every day for like two weeks straight and they didn't board it up,” the other neighbor said.
A week later, a Dumpster was dropped off and all their things were tossed out.
“My baby's stroller, all my kid's pictures,” the neighbor said were some of the items thrown out. “I told her that my kids’ birth certificates, Social Security cards were in there. Our whole life was gone, like the stuff that we could have saved, but the part that really hurt is how they didn't care.”
H.J. Russell & Company owns this property. Fernandes called them several times for the last two weeks to get a comment about this story, but they hadn’t returned her call as of yet.
Fernandes also spoke with fire officials Thursday who said they never determined the cause of the fire. They said the results of the investigation were inconclusive.
Cox Media Group
