[musicman]

with city inspectors there earlier in the week, you knew this was inevitable.

[OkieEric]

musicman, on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 @ 3:03pm, said:

with city inspectors there earlier in the week, you knew this was inevitable.

Great...the only thing better than an old, decrepit apartment complex @ probably 10% occupancy is an old and abandoned decrepit apartment complex. Do they have to fence it off or anything, or will we have the pleasure of watching it rot even further? It seems extremely unlikely that anything is actually going to happen here for quite some time

[crunchtastic]

it won't just sit there. It will get stripped of all its metals, and then finish rotting.

Sad.

[musicman]

i have a feeling that the developer donated some "funds" to a councilperson so that the inspectors would be summoned to the property.

[OkieEric]

crunchtastic, on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 @ 9:20pm, said:

it won't just sit there. It will get stripped of all its metals, and then finish rotting.

Sad.

Thinking about it more - does being labeled a fire hazard mean that they have either have to be brought up to code or demolished?

Interesting that there really isn't any media coverage on this as of yet. Granted, it's not front page news like the unending coverage of the "octomom", but you'd think at least the chron would give it a mention considering the plight of the residents

[Native Montrosian]

Interesting comment on Swamplot about how there's been a fire station on the corner of Dunlavy & Richmond forever, yet the fire marshall never noticed Wilshire Village until yesterday.

Sure the end was nigh, but first they get a notice saying "leave"; then the owner calls some people and says "stay", and now everyone who had planned on the end of the month has to turn backflips because the place is suddenly a fire hazard. Not everyone there is elderly or a stay-at-home artist. There are students and working people as well who now have to drop everything to move a week early. Those who have found new digs have leases that start March 1st since the last day of the month is a Saturday. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I understood that fire hazard condemnation meant out within 24 hours or sooner.

Oh, the owner was spotted yesterday wandering around the complex and gritching about some tenants who had put Christmas lights up in their windows, which is forbidden by their lease. Glad he's on top of things.

[kylejack]

musicman, on Thursday, February 19th, 2009 @ 11:34pm, said:

i have a feeling that the developer donated some "funds" to a councilperson so that the inspectors would be summoned to the property.

I dunno, it sounded like the owner was fine with the people staying for now. It sounds like there's some interlopers, maybe some lesser co-owners or something? Maybe the ones who sent the letters. They're probably the ones that sicked the inspectors on it.

[musicman]

Native Montrosian, on Friday, February 20th, 2009 @ 8:28am, said:

Interesting comment on Swamplot about how there's been a fire station on the corner of Dunlavy & Richmond forever, yet the fire marshall never noticed Wilshire Village until yesterday.

unfortunately the number of inspectors is inadequate to routinely inspect every building. unless something happens to flag a problem (like councilmember intervention), things will be missed.

Native Montrosian, on Friday, February 20th, 2009 @ 8:28am, said:

Sure the end was nigh, but first they get a notice saying "leave"; then the owner calls some people and says "stay", and now everyone who had planned on the end of the month has to turn backflips because the place is suddenly a fire hazard. Not everyone there is elderly or a stay-at-home artist. There are students and working people as well who now have to drop everything to move a week early. Those who have found new digs have leases that start March 1st since the last day of the month is a Saturday. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I understood that fire hazard condemnation meant out within 24 hours or sooner.

the inspectors that were there told my friend 3 days to vacate.

[kylejack]

musicman, on Friday, February 20th, 2009 @ 10:54am, said:

unfortunately the number of inspectors is inadequate to routinely inspect every building. unless something happens to flag a problem (like councilmember intervention), things will be missed.

Yeah, but its hard to miss a set of buildings you can nearly spit on. I lived at W. Main @ Mandell and saw it all the time. Its a huge eyesore, and the busted doors and etc. are hard to miss.

[musicman]

kylejack, on Friday, February 20th, 2009 @ 8:52am, said:

I dunno, it sounded like the owner was fine with the people staying for now. It sounds like there's some interlopers, maybe some lesser co-owners or something? Maybe the ones who sent the letters. They're probably the ones that sicked the inspectors on it.

yeah i agree the ones who want to proceed with a new development vs keeping the residents there.

[Native Montrosian]

Thank you - I'm glad someone talked to an inspector. I'm pretty sure my buddy was moving all night - 2o years of stuff doesn't fit into a couple of boxes. At least people have the weekend so friends/family can get over there and help.

[musicman]

kylejack, on Friday, February 20th, 2009 @ 8:58am, said:

Yeah, but its hard to miss a set of buildings you can nearly spit on. I lived at W. Main @ Mandell and saw it all the time. Its a huge eyesore, and the busted doors and etc. are hard to miss.

there are lots of eyesores in houston they don't shut down. i can think of 3 specifically where the owner is mentally ill. the city came out to investigate but once they realized the state of the owner, they pulled back. unless someone complains specifically, the issue will be ignored by the city.

[Native Montrosian]

At last - the ghost stories! Allegedly, 3 of the apartments are haunted:

*one girl raped and murdered years ago

*one little old lady that refused to leave after her husband died in the 1950's, finally passed but her ghost refused to be evicted

*one suicide victim

The rape/murder rings a bell from Castle Court days, but my mom repeated every horror story she heard to keep my sister & me from breaking curfew. It may have been at another complex.

[rsb320]

I saw some activity here while shopping at Fiesta this weekend. Did everyone get moved out?

[Native Montrosian]

Latest word is that the warnings just meant there were fire hazards - condemning the building is in the works, but takes a little longer. Move-out date is still this weekend and after that, things will allegedly get ugly.

Our friend is down to a bed, some clothes and a dop kit. He's still looking for a new apartment; doesn't want to "impose" on anyone until absolutely necessary, so he's staying until the last minute. Considering all us overserved who have slept it off at his place, maybe he should get a public safety stay for his move date. Over there on Saturday in time to see an elderly resident hobbling about to take down all the fire marshall signs - felt very bad for this person who looks about 80 and has reportedly lived there since the 60's. Maybe Jay Cohen cut a deal for some of the people to stay a while longer.

Hey, rsb320, if you saw a couple of guys almost drop a sofa down the back stairs in the Dunlavy lot closest to W. Alabama, one of them was my husband.

This post has been edited by Native Montrosian: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 2:59 PM

[rsb320]

No, I missed the near fall, but do remember seeing a panel truck.

Hey, what's the scoop on that '68-'69 Mercury Monterrey in the parking lot. My uncle had a maroon one and my family got a Plymouth Fury III at the same time. Man, those cars were huge!

[NenaE]

Native Montrosian, on Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 @ 1:56pm, said:

Latest word is that the warnings just meant there were fire hazards - condemning the building is in the works, but takes a little longer. Move-out date is still this weekend and after that, things will allegedly get ugly.

Our friend is down to a bed, some clothes and a dop kit. He's still looking for a new apartment; doesn't want to "impose" on anyone until absolutely necessary, so he's staying until the last minute. Considering all us overserved who have slept it off at his place, maybe he should get a public safety stay for his move date. Over there on Saturday in time to see an elderly resident hobbling about to take down all the fire marshall signs - felt very bad for this person who looks about 80 and has reportedly lived there since the 60's. Maybe Jay Cohen cut a deal for some of the people to stay a while longer. ...

This is a really sad story. How long do you all think I have to get over there and visit it, before it falls?

This post has been edited by NenaE: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:09 PM

[Native Montrosian]

Better hurry, Nena:

Quote

here's the latest: we met with an official of the City of Houston Police Department tonight at our 'town meeting' regarding the fate of Wilshire Village. we were informed that in the next 2 days the city will post orange notices for us to vacate. they will follow up no later than the first week in march to remove our personal items and toss them on the side of the road, off the property.

Jay Cohen had indeed told some of the elderly residents they didn't have to move. They were beyond crushed last night when they were informed that Cohen hadn't owned the property for over a year and Matt Dillick has an order in District Court pending to get them out.

rsb320: It belongs to a resident, flat tires and all. Allegedly, it runs. He may be looking to sell - know anyone interested?

[marmer]

This is so hard to understand.

OK, I get that decades of mismanagement and deferred maintenance have allowed at least some of the complex to deteriorate beyond repair. In spite of the fact that several tenants are happy with their apartments.

I get that there probably are significant life safety issues with the complex, although they could probably be addressed in ways short of demolition.

I get that whoever the owner is has the right to do whatever they want with the property, even if I disagree with their plans and priorities.

But this series of mixed messages ending with the forcible short-notice eviction of elderly tenants is absolutely unconscionable. Is there really any reason why there couldn't have been an official statement from the actual property owner giving people something like 60 or 90 days to move?

[kylejack]

Unfortunately it appears that the only mixed messages were coming from someone who purported to still own the property but in fact did not.

[Native Montrosian]

I have read the actual notice letter, and text is posted on Swamplot. The letter is signed by Dilick and cc'd to Jay Cohen. I think the elderly tenants' confusion is valid. Who the heck is Matt Dilick when they see Jay Cohen all the time and why would he be cc'd on the notices if he had nothing to do with the property anymore? Then Cohen calls some of the residents to advise them they have nothing to worry about, which is relayed to other tenants, and we have a recipe for a very bad situation.

It wasn't until February that the tenants had any inkling that Cohen was no longer legally involved with the property at all. Everybody still refers to him as "the landlord" (or something a little more colorful, but the same gist). I'm willing to wager that most of the residents don't subscribe to the HBJ or read about real estate happenings in the Chronicle business section, where there was brief mention of Dillick purchasing the property in 2005.

The elderly are extremely vulnerable because they trust those they have known for years - you wouldn't believe some of the pickles we've gotten my mother-in-law out of. People like our friend and the younger tenants are a little more sophisticated in the ways business is conducted nowadays and planned accordingly.

[sevfiv]

Records show that the property changed hands from the Wilshire Village Corp. (run by J. Howard Cohen and registered in 1939) to Dilick in November 2002.

In 2002 it was Flat Stone II (run by Dilick) and then it changed to Alabama & Dunlavy Ltd c/o Commerce Equities (both of which are run by Dilick).

I can't find any association between Cohen and Flat Stone, Alabama & Dunlavy, or Commerce Equities, but that doesn't mean one doesn't exist. Current tax rolls show Jay H. Cohen owning a LOT of small, old, almost worthless homes in the 77004/77020 zip codes..

Here are the corporations' information:

-Wilshire Village Corp. (J. Howard Cohen)

-Flat Stone II Ltd. (Matthew Dilick)

-Alabama & Dunlavy Ltd. (Matthew Dilick)

-Commerce Equities (Matthew Dilick)

[Native Montrosian]

Another meeting with the residents is scheduled for Saturday. As The Stomach Turns....

[cosmic08]

Any news on the Saturday meeting with the residents?

I was there Friday and tried to take exterior pics, but as soon as I stepped within feet of the property, I was run off by an old balding man.

[sevfiv]

I went there Saturday - looked like nothing out of the ordinary was going on (no signs of moving, etc).

[musicman]

they have til the 15th to move last i heard.

[kylejack]

musicman, on Monday, March 2nd, 2009 @ 11:07am, said:

they have til the 15th to move last i heard.

Beware the Ides of March, Wilshire Village.

[Native Montrosian]

Sorry; busy morning for insurance folk with all the AIG developments....yes, Dilick is keeping power/water on until the 15th and is giving residents who apply $500 to help with moving expenses. One elderly woman who has to move to West Virginia may also get help with her plane ticket. Bit late for visits from Christmas ghosts, but good for whatever inspired this sudden sympathy.

Had a chance on Sunday to see some of the other abandoned apartments. Several of the fold-out ironing boards still intact in the kitchens - they have swivel mechanisms so one can move it from side to side as well as up & down. The larger apartments have a living room and dining room separated by a waist-high room divider with cabinets & shelves. Closets in one bedroom have a built-in chest of drawers - looks like an update since the closet doors are overhead hung and sliding. If there had been a hallway, they would be almost the same size as the duplex I grew up in. Different color schemes for the bathroom tile by apartment building.

So does one laugh or cry about the colossal waste? Through the collapsed ceilings the attic is visible and is indeed a Texas basement - enough roof area to stand up in. Imagine if the place had been kept up - what would the going price be for a 2 bedroom apartment/condo with living room, dining room, 2 entrances and a loft 3rd room; perhaps a half bath as well? So much potential winding up in a landfill. All those neat back doors with the screen and the little door at the top, the gorgeous blonde brick that looks showroom pristine, the recessed gas fireplaces in the living rooms, the oak floors, the telephone nooks, the vintage gas stoves with the warmer/pot storage next to the oven, the Deco light fixtures by the back doors, the graceful curved stair railings, the accent walls of glass bricks - all trash....

[Dream]

so what is the new owner, dillick, plans for this property. is he going to demolish the apartments and build something awesome. i just worry that they will not do anything until the economy recovers. i hope the buildings don't just sit vacant. this is a great location for some type of mixed use retail, mid rise, multi-family project. has dillick ever done anything like this before. can he self finance?

dream

[marmer]

Thanks for the update and the lovely description and details, NM.

[Native Montrosian]

[cosmic08]

Thanks for the resident sale post!

[sevfiv]

From Swamplot (emphasis mine):

Quote

A source tells Swamplot that owner Matt Dilick’s Commerce Equities has informed a tenant that electricity for the 8-acre complex will be turned off on March 28th.

Plus: complaints about what our source terms the “psychological warfare” waged against the remaining residents of the complex on Dunlavy and W. Alabama:

[Dilick] has never identified himself as the owner or contacted [any of the residents]. An army of COH inspectors was here as well as the Fire Marshal touring the property with Jay Cohen, to whom [residents have] paid rent for 20 years. Now [the complex has been] papered with fire hazard and code violation signs. It preys on your mind. Why can’t Dilick say he’s the owner and give . . . a proper eviction notice? Guess it’s cheaper to scare [them] out.

The source also claims a city representative had instructed residents not to pay rent for March, but also told them they could be evicted with only 24 hours notice. And then there’s a little rumor Swamplot’s source has heard — that the place will be bulldozed on March 29th.

http://swamplot.com/wilshire-village-movin...sed/2009-03-12/

[Native Montrosian]

[sidegate]

Update - Wilshire's still standing. The local civic clubs are marshaling arms and have met with Wanda Adams, though I don't get the impression this will be a very strong blip on her radar.

[OkieEric]

sidegate, on Monday, March 30th, 2009 @ 2:06pm, said:

Update - Wilshire's still standing. The local civic clubs are marshaling arms and have met with Wanda Adams, though I don't get the impression this will be a very strong blip on her radar.

Is everyone out now?

[sidegate]

Not sure. Certainly fewer cars than there were but there are still a few.

[Native Montrosian]

Interview with another tenant in the River Oaks Examiner:

Wilshire Village

Look at the slide show - this gentleman has one of the bigger apartments I was talking about with the dining room and room divider. And yes, I sound like a skipping record, but what a waste to have neglected this place.

[sidegate]

Shouldn't there be some sort of mechanism to prevent things reaching this point? Part of the problem is that a lot of renters don't agitate for upgrades and maintenance on their dwellings, even when the landlord/landlady would be legally required to make them, because they're afraid of increases in rent. I'm sure Cohen would like to continue to have WV as a source of income rather than sell it, but his minimalist approach to being a landlord has come back to bite him in the ass. I wonder how many liens are on the property at this point with all the unpaid back taxes?

[Ross]

sidegate, on Monday, March 30th, 2009 @ 5:55pm, said:

Shouldn't there be some sort of mechanism to prevent things reaching this point? Part of the problem is that a lot of renters don't agitate for upgrades and maintenance on their dwellings, even when the landlord/landlady would be legally required to make them, because they're afraid of increases in rent. I'm sure Cohen would like to continue to have WV as a source of income rather than sell it, but his minimalist approach to being a landlord has come back to bite him in the ass. I wonder how many liens are on the property at this point with all the unpaid back taxes?

Cohen doesn't own the property, Dilick does, or rather Alabama & Dunlavy, which seems to be controlled by Dilick. The taxes are current, according to the Harris County tax office. And, anyone who thinks a 300,000+ square foot property in that part of town is going to remain low density apartments in the long run is fooling themselves. Even if the buildings were refurbished, the current tenants would be gone, unable to afford the $1200+ rents the owners would have to charge. I hate to see older buildings go away, but economics have to come into play at some point.

[sidegate]

Cohen was the previous owner. all the taxes must have been brought current after the sale I guess. Anyway, I don't oppose dense development if the infrastructure is there to support it. In the case of WV it plainly isn't. I live three blocks from WV and have seen what even a modest amount of rain does in terms of flooding. add the narrow, two lane streets on three sides,and contraflow west alabama on the fourth, and it is incumbent on the city to scrutinze the number of units in any new development very, very closely. As a property owner I'm invested in the area and want only to see sensible, forward looking development.

[KinkaidAlum]

Since it is beyond ridiculous to assume it will be saved, I am now hoping it will became a high end enclave of single family homes. West Alabama is a lovely street. I'd hate to see some Gables thing plopped down on that site with a massive parking garage, few trees, and beige stucco.

$1 million dollar plus homes are popping up all over that area these days. It isn't too far fetched to think that a neighborhood with 50 homes on 6,000 square foot lots (about average for that hood assuming the 300,000 sq foot lot is accurate) could bring in quite a bit of money.

[Native Montrosian]

sidegate is absolutely right about the flooding and traffic concerns. It's a river even with the sdeep ditches along West Alabama and all the green space at WV. I don't even want to imagine what more concrete and a midrise would do.

KA, that could be very nice. A plan like that could also save a number of the gorgeous magnolia trees! Maybe even some of the neat property entrance walls.

[KinkaidAlum]

Yeah, the first thing I thought about when visualizing the high-end home enclave was saving as many magnolias and oaks as possible. It is such a beautiful lot and being a native Houstonian, I fear for the worst... it's gonna get clear cut ala Astroworld and sit vacant for years and be a visual blight to the entire Menil district.

[Native Montrosian]

And I don't think they'll be able to graze cattle or have 4-day rock fests at Wilshire Village either.

I wish the Ashby High Rise dudes would get together with the developers of the epic Sonoma kerfluffle and work something out. I'm tired of seeing that sad dustbowl when we drive up Morningside.

[Native Montrosian]

[capnmcbarnacle]

Native Montrosian, on Monday, April 13th, 2009 @ 1:04pm, said:

Report from Nancy Sarnoff



A hotel flanked by two 2-lane streets, one 3-lane contraflow and a dead-ender??? Lord have mercy....or does he mean something like La Colombe D'or? Is this going to be the Lilliputian City Centre?

I've said all along and I'll say it again. I live in the hood and I'd rather see a high rise with 300 units than a nasty mid-rise Gables thing. I have a bad feeling about this one. I'm afaraid we are in for a big vacant lot for a long time, followed by something gross. I've heard nothing about the Dillick guy that gives me any confidence to think he understands anything about the neighborhood and what would fit there. That, and it's too easy to come up with disparaging anagrams with his name.

[rsb320]

This could be made into (unfenced) park space after demo and prior to construction. I hope the city learned its lesson with the delayed project in the Rice Village (Sanoma?).

A temporary park would be very beneficial to the hood with mature trees and all. They better not touch those trees!

[lockmat]

capnmcbarnacle, on Monday, April 13th, 2009 @ 2:22pm, said:

I've said all along and I'll say it again. I live in the hood and I'd rather see a high rise with 300 units than a nasty mid-rise Gables thing. I have a bad feeling about this one. I'm afaraid we are in for a big vacant lot for a long time, followed by something gross. I've heard nothing about the Dillick guy that gives me any confidence to think he understands anything about the neighborhood and what would fit there. That, and it's too easy to come up with disparaging anagrams with his name.

Not sure if it would help, but those interested in the final product could email him. I can't find his company's website though.

[sevfiv]

Snail mail may be the only way..

ALABAMA & DUNLAVY, LTD.
Registered Agent: MATTHEW G DILICK
11144 FUQUA ST STE 200
HOUSTON, TX 77089-2544