Is Atlanta waiving water charges for condo?

ATLANTA - A resident of a Buckhead condo said his conscience would not allow him to keep silent about more than a decade of unpaid city of Atlanta water charges that his homeowners association did not have to pay.

The property is called Phoenix. It opened in 2001. According to the whistleblower, a meter that should have calculated sewer charges never worked. Jack Richardson claimed the property owners knew about it, but instead of calling City Hall, the residents kept silent. That silence, he claimed, added up to hundreds of thousands of dollars they never had to pay in utility bills.

Derrick Boazman, a former councilman, heard about the controversy and spoke out during the council meeting.

Boazman implored his former colleagues to treat Buckhead condo residents no different than an elderly neighbor of his who suffered a water cutoff. Boazman said he turned on his outdoor hose so the senior citizen could come get water.

“It's unthinkable,” said Boazman, that Buckhead homeowners could “dine out on lobster and steak” and not have to pay water and sewer charges the less fortunate would have to pay.

The old bill for the condo went unpaid during the tenure of former water Commissioner JoAnn Macrina.

A spokesperson told FOX 5 News the claim the city told those residents it would waive all the charges is not accurate. The water department said everything is pending.