DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County man says unexplained charges from his former apartment complex have damaged his credit and prevented him from securing a new place to live.
Malcom Whichard contacted Channel 2 Action News after, he says, months of unanswered calls and emails to East Perimeter Point apartments and its management company.
Whichard told Channel 2’s Ashli Lincoln he moved out of East Perimeter Point in 2024 after a series of incidents that made him fear for his family’s safety.
“There was a shooting downstairs from me,” Whichard said.
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He also said a neighboring resident frequently carried an AK-47 and that children in a nearby building started a fire.
“It just wasn’t a safe space for my daughter,” he said.
Whichard said he turned in his keys with one month remaining on his lease and believed his security deposit would cover the unpaid rent.
“Whatever that month was that I owed, they basically take my security deposit and cover that and we’d be done,” he said.
After returning his keys, Whichard said leasing staff told him the apartment would be inspected. He said he did not hear from management again.
“I dropped the keys off. They said that they’d inspect the apartment and I never heard anything from them,” he said.
That changed when he applied for a new apartment and was denied.
Whichard said East Perimeter Point reported nearly $4,000 in debt to a debt collector.
“They’re actively ruining people’s lives,” he said.
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Whichard, who said he reviews contracts for local governments as part of his job, said he never received notice of an outstanding balance.
“They have a responsibility, a legal responsibility, to let you know when and if you have a balance,” he said.
He said repeated efforts to obtain an itemized statement have gone unanswered.
“I’ve called several times. I’ve emailed several times,” he said.
Lincoln also emailed and visited the leasing office. An employee said the inquiry had been forwarded to corporate, but the company had not provided a statement as of the report.
Consumer advocates recommend renters review their credit reports to identify which agency is reporting a debt and to file disputes if they believe the information is inaccurate.
Whichard said he has filed a dispute with the credit reporting agency.
“Please explain what these charges are so that we can get them straightened out,” he said. “I’d love to move and get my own place.”
Until the issue is resolved, Whichard said he remains unable to secure permanent housing.
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