Residents of Bolden Townhomes in southwest Atlanta say they are being wrongfully evicted under Georgia’s new squatting law despite holding legal leases. At a press conference, tenants described dangerous living conditions and accused the property owner of exploiting the law to force them out. Advocates are demanding immediate action and better tenant protections.
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Evictions Spark Outrage
When Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the Safe at Home Act in 2024, it aimed to safeguard renters from landlord abuses. Yet, over a year later, tenants at Bolden Townhomes claim the law has failed them. Residents say they were ordered to leave their homes over unsafe conditions after being wrongly accused of squatting, despite holding valid leases.
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Squatter Law Misused
The recently enacted Georgia Squatter Reform Act, designed to fast-track the removal of illegal occupants, appears to have been used against legal tenants. Mercedes McGregor, speaking at a press conference, said officers ordered her out, dismissing her lease. “They’re calling us squatters,” she said. “Squatters don’t have keys. We all had leases, everybody showed when the sheriff came.”…