Greenbriar Chateau tenants told to move, quickly

The Greenbriar Chateau has been sold, and its new owners plan to tear down the 42-year-old complex and replace it with a high-end apartment development. Tenants of the 145-unit complex have been told they must leave by March 8. less The Greenbriar Chateau has been sold, and its new owners plan to tear down the 42-year-old complex and replace it with a high-end apartment development. Tenants of the 145-unit complex have been told they must ... more Photo: Hallie Jordan Photo: Hallie Jordan Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Greenbriar Chateau tenants told to move, quickly 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Residents of a large apartment complex near Rice University are being given little more than a month to pack up and move out.

The 42-year-old Greenbriar Chateau has been sold, and the new owners plan to tear it down and build a high-end apartment development in its place.

Tenants of the 145-unit complex must leave by March 8, according to a letter to residents dated Jan. 30 from Kaplan Management. The new owner is a partnership affiliated with the Houston-based management company.

"Our primary concern is to take care of the residents," said Mike Kaplan, CEO of Kaplan Management.

He said tenants at 4100 Greenbriar, just south of the Southwest Freeway, will receive full security-deposit refunds and up to $250 to help with moving costs. Kaplan Management also will put employees on site to help residents find other apartments.

The company is offering one month's free rent and waiving security deposits to Greenbriar Chateau residents who move to a property it manages on Westheimer, near the West Loop.

On Wednesday afternoon, residents just receiving their letters were distressed to learn they would have to find a new home by next month.

"We need more time," said 19-year tenant Leon Mustachio. "Thirty days is not enough. It's hard to find another place that fast."

Rice student Jin Woo Park said it will be hard to move in the middle of the school year. "I can't move to the dorms because they're full," he said. "I have nowhere to go."

Candida Lacombe, 80, has a 50-year-old son who can help her find a new apartment. But a lot of her neighbors, she said, don't have that kind of help. Some residents have lived in the complex for years.

Landlords have the right under state law to close properties on reasonably short notice, said Andy Teas, vice president for public affairs at the Houston Apartment Association.

The Texas Property Code, he explained, is designed for property owners who are going to tear down a building or make major repairs.

Kaplan said the new development, with 250 to 300 apartments, is scheduled to open in early 2013 as the District at Greenbriar. It will not be a high-rise, he said.

As the job market recovers and mortgage lending remains challenging, more people are renting, driving up rates and occupancies.

"It's hard to find apartments that are real affordable right now," Teas said.

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