Riverdale townhome residents say yearslong garbage problem has left them searching for answers

Residents of a Clayton County townhome community say they are caught in a dispute with their homeowners association over a problem that is hard to ignore: a growing pile of garbage they say has become a smelly and potentially hazardous fixture in the neighborhood.

At Lake Ridge, a modest subdivision of 193 townhomes in Riverdale, residents say household trash, furniture, mattresses, toilets and other discarded items have been dumped for years at a street corner in the community.

A resident says the pile has even included a dead dog.

The dumping site is just feet from one of the townhomes and next to a school bus stop where children gather each day.

"That's what we're trying to find out — what is going on?" one resident told CBS News Atlanta.

The community does have a homeowners association responsible for services including garbage collection and landscaping.  But unlike many HOAs that hire outside management companies, the Lake Ridge association is self-managed.

"We are self-managed because the reason, management companies overcharge," Lake Ridge HOA President Forrest Johnson said.

Johnson blamed at least part of the garbage problem on a broken trash compactor and said the company responsible for the equipment has not repaired it quickly enough.

"If your equipment breaks down, it should be an emergency for you to come out and repair it," Johnson said.

She told CBS News Atlanta that repairs to the compactor could cost as much as $10,000, in addition to the cost of removing the accumulated garbage.

"We need to get rid of the compactor," Johnson said.

But residents say the garbage is only part of a larger concern about how their homeowners association is operated and how the money it collects is spent.

Based on figures provided to CBS Atlanta, monthly HOA dues for homeowners are $50. For investors who rent properties in Lake Ridge, it's $300.

CBS News Atlanta asked Johnson for financial statements showing how HOA money is collected and spent. We also asked for copies of the association's covenants or bylaws and a list of its board members.  Those documents requested to be sent by email were not provided.

Johnson said financial information is provided in April, once a year, in accordance with the association's covenants.  

HOA experts told CBS News Atlanta financial statements are to be sent to homeowners monthly and meetings should take place at least quarterly.

Johnson said the association has not held an HOA meeting in more than a decade, something a resident also confirmed.

"When the 2008 housing crisis [happened], we called off our meetings," Johnson said.

Three residents who spoke with CBS News Atlanta but did not want to appear on camera said they have also emailed Johnson with complaints about garbage collection and a lack of landscaping but received no response.

"We do not know what's going on," one resident said. "And it's time for somebody to get a hold to see what is going on."

For now, the dispute appears to be at a stalemate.  Residents want answers about garbage collection, maintenance, HOA finances and when — or whether — association meetings will resume.

Johnson points to the broken compactor and the costs associated with repairing or replacing it.

And amid the questions, contradictions and disagreement, one thing remains plainly visible:  a mountain of garbage sitting in the hot Atlanta sun, just feet from homes and a school bus stop.