The City of Houston sued the old owner of 1901 Richmond after years of alleged criminal activity. A new owner may be the solution to the problem.
HOUSTON — An apartment complex known for alleged criminal activity has a new owner.
1901 Richmond, located in Montrose, was sold shortly after the city filed a civil lawsuit against the property and the previous owner, after years of crime reports at the complex.
The alleged issues at 1901 Richmond have long been the talk of the neighborhood. Christopher Irving said he’s lived at the complex for the past six years.
‘It’s a lot of drugs that came through here, a lot of prostitution,” Irving said.
“You just name it, they do it,” Mohammad Rahman said.
He used to own a pizza shop in the nearby shopping center, which he said suffered due to activity at and around the apartment complex.
“Last year and the year before, I only had two employees, because people stopped coming at all,” Rahman said.
In June, the City of Houston sued the apartment complex and management company Fat Property. A lawsuit states that the seriousness and frequency of crimes occurring on the property over the last three years were of particular concern to Houston police.
Those “numerous” incidents included shootings with serious bodily injury, aggravated assaults involving dangerous weapons, felony drug dealing, arson and other crimes. The crimes involve residents and non-residents who were on the property, the lawsuit said.
The city requested the owners clean up the property and close it for one year, which leaves one resident with mixed feelings.
“I’m willing to go, but I’m trying to deal with my own housing situation,” Irving said. He has until the 20th to move out.
KHOU 11 News spoke to the new owner, who said the complex will be renovated and current residents will have to leave and find another place to stay.
Fat Property, the former property owners, said they are in the process of relocating residents.
People like Rahman are hoping the troubles at this complex stay in the past.
“Please think twice before you put something inside that residential area or next to the business area, because it do affect the local businesses and community a lot,” Rahman said.
An attorney representing the property owner denies all the allegations in the city’s lawsuit. Fat Property believes the city is unfairly targeting apartment residents, many of whom are low-income or on assisted living.