ATLANTA — Renters at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex could soon lose access to hot water and gas for cooking after the property owner allegedly failed to pay the property’s natural gas bill.
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Residents at the Fairburn and Gordon Apartments contacted Channel 2 Action News after workers distributed notices Wednesday warning that natural gas service could be disconnected if the outstanding balance is not paid.
“This is just one issue after another,” tenant Nikki Pruitt said.
Pruitt said she depends on gas service to prepare meals and was stunned to learn the apartment management company had not kept the account current.
“I have to have gas in order to cook,” she said.
She also questioned why the property continues operating despite years of complaints.
“How are they still able to operate in the City of Atlanta when he’s a prolific slumlord?” Pruitt said.
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Residents told Channel 2 Action News this is the third utility disruption they’ve faced within the past year and the second time in 2026 that gas service has been threatened or interrupted because of nonpayment.
Several tenants said they have received no communication from apartment management about the situation.
When Channel 2’s Ashli Lincoln visited the leasing office Thursday seeking answers, the office was locked. A letter was taped to the door acknowledging City of Atlanta Code Enforcement had visited the property.
As City of Atlanta code enforcement officers arrived at the property, one tenant said management employees had left.
“I ain’t seen them since,” resident O.C. Favors said.
“When they seen that city truck come down, one jumped in the white car, the other jumped in hers, and out the door they went,” Favors said.
True Natural Gas, which provides service to the complex, confirmed the apartment management company holds the account but declined to disclose how much money is owed.
In a statement, the company said the notices were distributed as part of the notification process required by the Georgia Public Service Commission.
“At this time, natural gas service has not been disconnected,” the company said. “The account for this property is held by the apartment management company, not by individual residents.”
True Natural Gas said it remains engaged with property management and continues to follow all applicable regulatory requirements.
Atlanta Gas Light said it assisted in distributing the notices and said service disconnections occur only after efforts to resolve payment issues and comply with notification requirements.
“Disconnections are a last resort after efforts to resolve such issues in compliance with applicable regulations, notifications to affected residents and other considerations like weather, day of week, etc.,” the company said.
Homeowners who live next to the apartment complex said they believe the property should be condemned.
“It just really needs to be torn down,” neighbor Melody said.
She said nearby homeowners regularly deal with crime and disorder.
“We hear gunshots all the time. It’s always yelling and cussing, people running in and out your pathways, no respect for your property,” she said.
The property has a history of code enforcement and maintenance issues. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development stopped accepting federal housing vouchers at the complex because of deteriorating conditions.
That same year, an Atlanta Municipal Court judge denied a request to demolish the property after the owners said they had invested more than $500,000 in repairs.
Tenants, however, said they have not seen those improvements.
Pruitt showed Channel 2 photos she said depict her bathroom floor separating and sagging into the apartment below.
“My bathroom floor is so damaged, I’m about to fall through it,” she said.
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Property records show the owners live in California. They are also facing dozens of pending City of Atlanta code enforcement cases.
City of Atlanta code enforcement officials inspected the property Thursday after learning of the potential gas shutoff.
According to the city, inspectors confirmed that natural gas service remained active and tenants still had hot water and working gas appliances as of Thursday.
The city said two active code enforcement cases remain open at the complex: one involving junk, trash and debris on the property and another involving interior wall and ceiling damage in an occupied apartment. Both cases are awaiting reinspection.
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