Judges order landlords to stop removing renters' belongings in 2 Harvey-affected buildings

A boat travels along a flooded road through the Lakes On Eldridge Parkway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. A boat travels along a flooded road through the Lakes On Eldridge Parkway in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017, in Houston. Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 116 Caption Close Judges order landlords to stop removing renters' belongings in 2 Harvey-affected buildings 1 / 116 Back to Gallery

Harris County judges granted temporary restraining orders preventing landlords of two Houston apartment complexes from removing personal items from rented units.

In one case, Bobbie Purcell and Stephen Watson were notified Sept. 7 that their leases were being terminated and they needed to vacate their units by Sept. 15, according to a state District Court document filed in Harris County.

The next day, they were notified that if their personal items were still there, they could be removed and thrown away in order for repairs to begin.

RELATED: Fewer flooded units than feared

Their units at Forest Creek Apartments at 5900 Uvalde had been damaged by Harvey, but neither unit was unlivable nor had they been condemned as such, the document said. Purcell, a 74-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair, asked her landlord if she could stay in her unit while the repairs were being made.



Officials from the apartment management company, Greystone Property Management, could not immediately be reached.

UPDATE: "We are working with displaced residents at Forest Creek to identify reasonable accommodations during the renovation process as a result of damage sustained by Hurricane Harvey," according to a statement from property manager Greystone.

The second case involves the Grand on Memorial, a high-end apartment complex at 15135 Memorial Drive, where Kamaya Wright received an email after Harvey notifying her to remove all of her belongings from the unit by Sept. 16, according to a filing.

RELATED: Some apartment dwellers face post-Harvey eviction

She said she had not been served any eviction papers.

Although the complex was damaged by the storm, Wright said her apartment was not directly affected.



Landlord Greystar also could not be immediately reached.

UPDATE: In an email, Greystar Management Services stated: "After assessing the potential life and safety issues related to the 10-day flooding of the property, a determination was made to terminate all leases to ensure no residents are at risk. This tragedy has been extremely difficult for all those involved."

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In both cases, the renters are represented by Lone Star Legal Aid, which has filed and received other temporary restraining orders on behalf of tenants on the Gulf Coast.

Richard Tomlinson of Lone Star Legal Aid said some tenants on fixed incomes have nowhere to go.

"We have a lot of clients that don't want to move. If they're in affordable housing they're not going to find anything," Tomlinson said.

Hearings are scheduled next week.