UNION CITY, Ga.,None — The fate of Union City's Union Station Mall is in jeopardy because its owner owes a quarter of a million dollars in back taxes and is behind on the light bill, according to city officials.
Union Station Mall owner Lee Najjar is hardly living up to his reputation as a famed sugar daddy. Najjar, or ‘Big Poppa,' as he is called on reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta hasn't paid the light bill in months, according to city documents.
Mall shopkeepers have already received warnings from Georgia Power informing them that they may have to disconnect the power due to nonpayment.
The power shut off has been delayed, but the power bill isn't Najjar's only money problem. City officials said his company is three years behind on property taxes.
"They owe us about $290,000 as of today," city manager Steve Rapson told Channel 2's Diana Davis.
Rapson said the city is trying work with the mall and reassure tenants, who said they were worried about the mall's future. One shopkeeper said that overnight mall security changed the locks on several stores, locking out tenants. Another said he was threatened with eviction but hasn't seen a court order so far.
Code enforcement officers were inside the mall Wednesday delivering a letter from the mayor that sympathized with "challenging times" at the mall.
Channel 2 tried to contact Najjar for comment, but he did not return any phone calls.