Native Montrosian Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I saw some activity here while shopping at Fiesta this weekend. Did everyone get moved out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 (edited) 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. Edited February 24, 2009 by Native Montrosian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) 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? Edited February 25, 2009 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Better hurry, Nena: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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Unfortunately it appears that the only mixed messages were coming from someone who purported to still own the property but in fact did not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 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) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Another meeting with the residents is scheduled for Saturday. As The Stomach Turns.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic08 Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I went there Saturday - looked like nothing out of the ordinary was going on (no signs of moving, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicman Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 they have til the 15th to move last i heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 they have til the 15th to move last i heard.Beware the Ides of March, Wilshire Village. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 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.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dream Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks for the update and the lovely description and details, NM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 You're most welcome But don't just take my word for it - go see at the moving sales on for the next two weekends! From the River Oaks Examiner: Having been told by both the city fire marshal and one of the property Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic08 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks for the resident sale post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevfiv Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 From Swamplot (emphasis mine):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/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 And then there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OkieEric Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Not sure. Certainly fewer cars than there were but there are still a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Native Montrosian Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Interview with another tenant in the River Oaks Examiner:Wilshire VillageLook 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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