Magnolia Reserve move-in delays forcing students to live in hotels

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - Shaniyah Hall walked WALB through her Magnolia Reserve apartment. She’s been allowed to move her belongings but says she was told if she lived there it would be considered trespassing.

She’s been staying in hotels since August. She says she was told the apartment would be ready by then.

“We were told that we were going to be able to move straight here so when I found out that we weren’t moving straight here it threw my parents in a hassle with their jobs and overall it hasn’t been a great experience,” Hall said.

“It makes me so sad, like all the time I want to come in here and cry because all of my stuff is here and I don’t really feel safe with my stuff being here,” she said.

Now, Hall is still moving from hotel to hotel with two dogs, eating out daily and trying to attend classes. She says the constant hotel changes have affected her academically and financially.

“I’m missing class, I’m failing classes, and I’ve been forced to drop two classes because I just can’t maintain dogs, living in the hotel, and trying to feed myself,” she said. “With losing my job, I can’t afford to do the things I used to do. My parents have another child preparing to go to college so it’s not easy with me constantly having to ask my mom for money because I can’t even work to provide for myself.”

Hall says she and other students don’t understand why they can’t move in – apartments have running water, lights and appliances.

“They are still making us pay rent even though we are stay in hotels. They told me I owe September, October, and upcoming November rent so I’m currently at $1,700 but I refuse to pay because I have not physically lived in the apartment,” she said.

WALB reached out to Magnolia Reserve for an update but hasn’t heard back.

According to residents, Magnolia Reserve has not provided a new move-in date to students or their parents in over a week.

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