City empties troubled apartment complex

Citing repeated safety violations at a north Houston apartment complex, the city took an unusual step Tuesday: It revoked the complex's certificate of occupancy, meaning residents will have to find other places to live within the net few days. The complex in question is Carter's Grove, the same place where two kids were nearly electrocuted in February while playing around an unlocked electrical transformer. But the transformer incident was far from the only problem at Carter's Grove: According to the city, there have been more than 200 code, fire and police citations at the complex since January. "We can't ignore the fact that the health and safety of the people who live there is in danger," said Frank Michel, a spokesman for Mayor Bill White. "Conditions there are very dire."

The question now is where residents will go. City officials and representatives of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and the Coalition for the Homeless met with people at the complex Tuesday, and volunteers and city employees will be on-site from 1 to 7 p.m. every day this week to help direct residents to safer, cleaner complexes with similar rent in the same area as Carter's Grove. Michel said White has been raising private funds to help residents relocate, and the city has secured U-Haul vouchers and is working with CenterPoint to have electric service transfer fees waived. "The main complaint I heard from the residents is that a week is a short time to move," Michel said. "I think we probably informed about 80 percent of the residents who live there, but we will be there for the rest of the week to help them make moving arrangements."

Meanwhile, property owner Royale Property Management is gearing up for a legal fight: The company filed a motion for a temporary restraining order in court yesterday, and though state District Judge Sharolyn Wood denied that request, she did order a city administrative hearing on Friday. If city officials rule against Royale, a hearing will be held in Wood's court Monday, but Michel said the revocation of the certificate of occupancy will remain in place. Louise Royale of Royale Property Management told KHOU that improvements have been made at Carter's Grove and said the city hasn't given her company due process to fight the citations. Channel 11 asked Royale the question that was on Houstonist's mind: Would she move into Carter's Grove? "Would I live here?" she responded. "Well, it's not my area of town, but I'd probably live here." Yeah, right.