Incomplete subdivisions face dangerous conditions

Communities left incomplete by the housing bust are causing more problems than just empty and overgrown lots, according to homeowners.

Some residents in Clayton County said they're also leading to potentially dangerous conditions.

Melanie Scott, a homeowner in the Lovejoy Crossing subdivision, said she and her neighbors have had to fight for basic services, including street lights.

Scott said residents also had to go to the city of Lovejoy to get a dark, undeveloped coer of their own neighborhood barricaded after a stream of illegal activity.

"We're left to pay money but we're not getting any services," said homeowner Melanie Scott. "Things are not being done. We don't have a voice."

Scott told Georgia Newsday that she is fed up with the management company that took over her homeowners; association once her builder cleared out.

"They're saying they can't tu over the homeowners association because we're not 80 percent full," she said.

It's a growing problem ever since the housing bust.

Her community was supposed to have 200 homes, instead there are only 16 completed houses and tons of empty lots.

Scott said there was an annual homeowners meeting where residents from 16 different subdivisions in similar situations were invited.

She said the scene represented the growing problem.

"We had room for 40 people and over 200 showed up and police were called and we were asked to leave," she said. "We need to either have legislation written where we do away with homeowners associations or we need to be able to police ourselves."