HOUSTON – The city is suing about 150 homeowners to speed up the demolition of an abandoned condominium complex.
Candlelight Trails on De Soto Street was shut down in 2007 amid repeated complaints of drug dealers, prostitutes and squatters. Since then, nearby residents have urged the city to tear down the complex.
But the city has had trouble getting the condo owners to sign off on the demolition.
One of those owners, Dalia Garcia, said she never received the original lawsuit, which sought to have her pay for her own home’s demolition.
"I never got served," Garcia said."I have three children and I'm trying to support them and here I have this big old headache."
Garcia's headache is due to the more than $220,000 in penalties she’s accumulated by not answering the lawsuit.
"My husband died six years ago, so I really struggled to get this property," she said, adding that she spent just $10,000 to buy it. “They're picking on the little people."
The city shut it down before she moved in. She doesn’t oppose plans to demolish the buildings, but she said she can’t afford to pay for it – especially with the added penalties.
She is now working as a hairdresser and living with her parents while she tries to sort through the legal battle.
"This is very overwhelming,” Garcia said. “It's actually going to ruin my life forever."
City officials said a judge could rule this month on whether demolition can begin.
"We are trying to work with all the property owners at this point in time,” City Attorney David Feldman said. “One of the values of having a case coming to trial is that it gets everybody's attention."
