12 On Your Side: Ga. woman battling management over bed bugs

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News 12 at 6 o'clock / Thursday, June 7, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A great-grandmother is fighting with management at her apartment complex after she says bed bugs infiltrated her home.

The bed bugs are gone now inside Edna Turner's apartment, but management at Georgian Place wants her to pay up.

"Oh, I am very angry," Turner said.

Management is demanding her to pay the extermination fees involved with getting rid of the bud bugs. Turner's lease agreement does not state anywhere that she is responsible for extermination.

Georgian Place management told News 12's On Your Side that Turner is responsible for the fees because they require tenants to sign a bed bug addendum. However, they admitted Turner never signed the document since she moved in years before they implemented it.

Attorney Richard Goolsby says Georgia landlord tenant laws are a bit muddled, so it's always best for a tenant to try to resolve issues outside of court.

"We would recommend that a tenant negotiate with the landlord whenever possible," he said.

Often, court costs outweigh the time and money spent fighting a landlord tenant issue. Goolsby recommends being proactive by reading all lease documents, keeping copies of everything and asking about pest control policies before signing anything.

Turner says she is leaving Georgian Place as soon as her lease comes up in another month.

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12 On Your Side: Ga. woman battling management over bed bugs

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