MACON, Ga. — Rick Bergdorf has lived in room 152 of the Budget Inn since January, but now he can't get in the door.
"A lot of the appliances don’t work. We had roaches," said Bergdorf.
Management told the people staying at the Byron Budget Inn that they had to leave.
"They told us the health department had been here and given them a list to do. Otherwise, none of the stuff would have been done," said Bergdorf.
The health department revoked the hotel’s tourist accommodation permit after a September inspection went poorly and a re-inspection last Friday went even worse.
"I’ll sleep somewhere in the car and do the best I can," said Bergdorf.
Bergdorf says he’s looking for a place for his dog Lizzie to stay while he goes to visit his wife in the hospital.
"The only thing I can do is -- [Lizzie] is a good car rider -- is try to get to the hospital to see my wife and not leave her very long and leave the windows down," said Bergdorf.
He says trying to care for his wife, his dog, and not having a place to stay has been overwhelming. He thinks about how it’s been for the families with children who are also looking for a place to stay.
Manager Mike Shah says they plan for this to be a temporary closure for about 2 weeks while they address the violations. He says then they’ll open up again.
The Peach County Health Department also says more than a dozen rooms were used for permanent residence or extended stay guests, not short-term visitors.
Tiffany Sandefur with Byron planning and zoning says the hotel is not licensed for extended stays.
"They said you can come back in 2 weeks, but again, only stay 30 days and check out for one day and check back in," said Bergdorf.
Bergdorf says he’s going to try to look for help across Central Georgia.
Michael Hokanson with the state Department of Public Health says the owners received a notice from the Peach County Health Department Monday and then it’s up to them to schedule a hearing and apply for a new permit before people could stay here as guests.
According to a state report, there were 3 new violations during their October 18th inspection including unsafe walkways and not hot or cold running water. There were 10 repeat violations, including bedbugs and roach infestations.
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