ALL THEY WANTED FOR CHRISTMAS WAS THE SKYLANE WEST 
Here’s a heartwarming holiday story. Embarrassed by media reports that all residents of the Skylane West apartments on I-10 were being kicked out of their homes with only 10 days’ notice just days before Christmas, the property’s new owners have given tenants, many of whom pay weekly, a wonderful Christmas present: Now they’ll be kicked out of their homes just days before New Year’s. Sonia Azad reports the new owners of the property just across the Beltway from CityCentre is Houston Garden Centers, which operates a nursery next door to the ratty complex and plans to tear it down. In the holiday spirit, the company “extended family leases through December 29 and gave them each $500 Walmart gift certificates. In an email, the new owner says, ‘We had no idea that there were children living here.'” [abc13] Image: 39Online
Sign up for the Newsletter
Warms my heart. There is nothing quite like the magic and wonder of receiving a gift certificate redeemable at the business displacing your family.
Is there anything I can do to help stop the eviction ?? Can someone email me the weekly lease so I can look for a loop hole in the contract ? This is rediculous !! This really makes me upset, how can someone be so cruel.
@ Mel does Walmart own Houston Garden Centers?
And all you anti-anti-walmart people keep saying this walmart is meant to service lower income families. You didn’t mention that it’s got the market cornered on the newly homeless as well!
The new owners should wait until the 2nd week on Jan. What are they gaining by doing it now?
Anyways, I hope they knock those apts. down. They are not the nicest around.
@ Mel what are you talking about I don’t understand what Walmart has to do with these apartments being torn down? What Are you talking about?
Sorry, I was joking. Following from the anti walmart posts on other threads.
Oh ok
Mel=Douchenozzle
Douchenozzel? I love that! Thank you, I plan to add that to my repertoire.
This building has been there forever. It is part of Houston’s history. It must be protected and preserved. Oh… Wait… It’s not a termite infested cracker box in the Heights. Nevermind.
They’re doing them a favor by kicking them out. If someone had kids living with them in this craphole they should be in jail for Christmas.
Last time I checked landlords were required to give 30 days notice terminating a lease agreement in order to “renovate” or “demolish” a property. Same with foreclosures. Quite a few are wrongfully evicted by banks. Even at Christmas. The JPs don’t know wrongful eviction. They only know the landlord says…
“Skylane Inc” was notorious about evicting people who usually were able to pay the rent but fell behind on the late fees on the weekly rent, which the managers often charged by closing the office an hour or two early and claiming the rent was not in the “night box” when they came in the following morning and charging a late fee each day until the late fee was paid which is not exactly legal although not exactly illegal, and apparently their position was that they were a motel/hotel when it suited their purpose and an apartment complex when it suited their purpose. The few times a JP bothered to ask what exactly they were.
Had the new owners given them $500 in cash to cover deposits and moving expenses it might have made this a little more palatable. But, alas, they didn’t. And so Houston Garden Centers is on my list of businesses that will never see another dime of my money.
That is exactly why I need to see the lease/contract ??
i’m guessing they do not have leases if they are weekly renters.
They should have some type of contract though.
It doesn’t matter what kind of lease agreement they have. What matters is that apparently no eviction has been filed. And the tenants believe they have no choice but to merely move. Because the property is to be demolished, there is no basis really for the tenants to counter an eviction as I understand the provisions of the Texas Property Code. At best they would have 30 days in which to move. They apparently weren’t given 30 days notice. But it’s doubtful even an appellate court would rule on the side of the tenants in terms of right of occupancy since, again, the reason for the eviction is to allow for demolition of the property. They might get a judgement in terms of the 30 day requirement. If a judge ruled it applied in this case. But beyond that, well, again, instead of offering a $500 Wal-Mart card Houston Garden Center should have offered $500 in cash for relocation expenses. A $500 Wal-Mart card is not going to pay for deposits and moving expenses.
Houston Garden Centers can suck it!
Y’all might want to contact Houston Garden Centers directly to tell them your views. Much more effective than venting on an internet forum.
From Ross:
Y’all might want to contact Houston Garden Centers directly to tell them your views. Much more effective than venting on an internet forum.
________________________
Do you really think they care what anyone thinks? All they care about is the cash register. I will let them know my views by not contributing to their cash register further.
@Matt, if HGC doesn’t know you aren’t shopping there, your mini-boycott will have no effect – losing one or two customers just isn’t detectable. Sending an email or letter that says “You treated the Skylane tenants like scum, you will never see another penny from me” at least gives them feedback that they’ve done something wrong.
Thank you Houston Garden Centers for getting rid of this eye sore. Every time I drove by this place I was amazed that it was still habitable.
How many other Skylanes still exist around town? Believe there’s still one near 45 and Crosstimbers.
@Greggo: I got rid of the two in Montrose. There are not many left…
Cody, what do you mean? There are still two on W. Alabama. @Greggo needs to stay on it…
RSB: The buildings are there, but different owner, name, tenants, operation.
There’s another Skylane near I-10 and Taylor, by Studewood park.
Houston Garden Centers would gain many grateful customers from Woodland Heights if they removed the Skylane at I-10 and Taylor.
Correction: Skylane at I-10 and Watson.