Man Comes Home to Empty Apartment, Says Complex Cleared Out Wrong Unit

An Atlanta man returned home from work to find his apartment completely emptied—and many of his belongings dumped outside.

Brice Williams says workers had intended to clear a different apartment believed to be occupied by a squatter, but emptied his unit instead.

“I walked into my apartment, and I saw that everything was missing,” Williams said in an interview with WSB-TV.

Williams told the station he was missing furniture and electronics, as well as sentimental items such as personal notes, childhood sports memorabilia and other keepsakes. What he first thought might have been a burglary turned out, he says, to be something far stranger.

He Found His Belongings in a Dumpster

Williams said he initially received no clear explanation for the empty apartment. According to Atlanta News First, he said the complex told him he was not on its eviction list and suggested he may have been robbed and should contact police.

Instead, Williams checked a dumpster near the property.

Inside, he said, he found his couch, television, and computer. Reportedly, he even spotted youth football trophies, notes from teachers and coaches, his high school diploma, car keys, Social Security card, and more.

Williams said the apartment manager later apologized and told him staff had intended to remove a squatter from another unit.

His First Apartment No Longer Feels Like Home

Williams had lived in the apartment for about a year and described it to Atlanta News First as his first place of his own.

“It meant a lot to have this apartment, a place to call mine,” Williams said.

He said he had worked two jobs to afford it but lost his newer second job after taking several days off to deal with the aftermath of his property being dumped.

Both stations sought an explanation from the property. WSB-TV reported that calls to the apartment complex were hung up three times. Michael Doudna from Channel 2 reached out to the management company and was reportedly told a response would likely come on Wednesday.

Atlanta News First later visited the property and was told the on-site manager could not comment.

Williams has also set up an online fundraiser as he works to replace what was lost.