September 15, 2009 – 2:11 pm
The Penthouse Club just off Westheimer at 2618 Winrock — shut down by the city a year ago for violating the city’s sexually oriented business ordinance — is reopening this Thursday! But . . . there’ll be no nudity this time, promises the club’s global licensing director. Who owns the club? According to KPRC Local 2 Investigates reporter Robert Arnold, that would be admitted murderer turned government witness Vincent Palermo, the former acting boss of New Jersey’s DeCavalcante crime family: “In addition to the mansion on Memorial Drive, Local 2 found Palermo, now using the last name Cabella, also owns the property that is the Penthouse Club on Winrock Boulevard near Westheimer Road. Harris County records show he also owns the Mexican food restaurant [Ruchi's Grill] in front of the Penthouse and the [Super Clean] car wash behind the club. State records show a company called “Hereweareagain, inc.” owns and operates the Penthouse Club, and another company called “6430 Westheimer, inc” owns and operates All Stars Cabaret across the street from Penthouse. Palermo’s wife and son are listed on corporate filings for these companies.” [Click2Houston; previously on Swamplot]
Read more about: 77057, Briargrove, Crime, Nightlife, Openings and Closings, SOBs
September 8, 2009 – 10:25 am
A marauding pack of four-legged criminals has attacked and killed more than 6 pets in the Woodland Heights area: “[Recovery specialist Doug] Worthy said pets should be kept inside at night, if possible, and if people are out after dark, they should carry something like a bat to protect themselves. The pack of dogs are described as four to six brown and black mutts, weighing between 80 and 90 pounds.” [Click2Houston, via Heightsfolk]
Read more about: 77009, Crime, Critters, Hazards, Woodland Heights
Acting on the orders of a prank caller, managers of 2 local Arby’s locations recently ended up spraying foam all over their kitchen and food-prep areas. The caller, claiming to be from the local fire department, said that the system had been turned off, but instructed the manager in each instance to pull the lever that activates the fire suppression equipment — to allow the department to perform a test. At the Arby’s on Garth Rd. in Baytown, the foam caused at least $600 in physical damage and significantly more in loss of business during the cleanup. At an Arby’s in Clear Lake, employees “followed the instructions from the caller even further and broke out the windows of the restaurant, according to [Baytown Detective Lt. Eric] Freed. The Jack-In-The-Box on Decker Drive in Baytown also got a similar call, but did not do anything that the caller said to do, he said.” [Baytown Sun]
Read more about: 77521, Baytown, Clear Lake, Crime, Fast Food, Fire Sprinklers, Restaurants
So many houses of prostitution in Houston . . . but who’s counting? “Because arresting prostitutes or customers barely slows the actual sex trade, investigators have concentrated on owners, bringing money laundering charges that carry stiffer penalties or using state nuisance laws to close their doors. But it takes months to put a case together as officers pose as customers and prostitutes. Even when a final conviction takes out a business, someone else can move in to the buildings along Houston’s highways and neighborhoods to ply their wares, Houston Police Sgt. Mark Kilty said. ‘There’s so much money involved in sex, in the sale of sex, that’s why you have so many establishments,’ Kilty said. He estimated that there are over 100 brothels in Houston. Others have put the number as high as 300. ‘Because they’re illegal they’re hard to track,’ Kilty said.” [Houston Chronicle]
Read more about: Crime, Leasing, Openings and Closings
New Fifth Ward resident James M. Harrison follows the Astros’ “Race for the Pennant” 5K to the front steps of his own neighborhood:
After running the 3.1 mile race with a friend, I decided that 5K’s should be the next topic on [Christian] Lander’s blog, “Stuff White People Like.” Hundreds of people (many of whom were caucasian), rose with the sun for the big race at 7.00 AM. They came outfitted in their lightweight synthetic clothes and hot-to-trot running shoes– the perfect accessories for the meaningless number we all slapped on our chests to make us look like we were about to compete in the Boston Marathon (mine was 2757).
Nobody trains for a 5K. But if you’re up at daybreak, among the crowd of socially aware locals who are in good enough shape for 25 minutes of running, thanks to their motivated lifestyles (and the iPods strapped to their arms, cued to amp the jam for the blitz across town)– then you must be doing something right with your life. It’s so important to be a part of the healthy crowd, that you’ll even pay $25 to get in on the action for a morning. I am a victim of this system.
Continue Reading This Story >
Read more about: 77002, 77009, 77020, 77026, Crime, Downtown, Fifth Ward, Houston Astros
A bill recently passed by the Texas Legislature — inspired by problems encountered in contacting the 150 separate owners of Candlelight Trails in northwest Houston — would make it a whole lot easier for the city to demolish decrepit condo complexes. “The bill by Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, applies only to Houston. It requires every condo development to maintain a registered agent to accept service of legal papers; if any development fails to do so, the Texas secretary of state automatically becomes the agent. The law will take effect Sept. 1 if Gov. Rick Perry signs it or allows it to become law without his signature. Perry will review the measure carefully before deciding, spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said. Current law requires each owner to be served either in person or through a legal notice in a newspaper. Defendants served through publication have two years to file a motion for a new trial. ‘It is extremely time-consuming, expensive and allows the substandard and often dangerous conditions to continue while the city struggles to obtain personal service on each owner,’ Ann Travis, Mayor Bill White’s governmental affairs director, said in a background document explaining the bill.” [Houston Chronicle]
Read more about: 77091, Candlelight Trails, Condos, Crime, Demolitions, Development Regulations, Inwood Forest, Neighborhood Disputes
What happens when an investor who owns 200 out of 500 units in a north Houston condo complex defaults on his loan, leaving many of his properties vacant? Reporter Allison Triarsi visits Pine Village North, just south of Hamill Rd., west of the Eastex Fwy.:
“It’s just an open house for gang members to come. Anybody can come,” said homeowner Ann Loyd.
Walk inside any one of the open units and you could find anything from gang graffiti and dead roaches, to the bones of animals.
“I don’t know if what I’m standing in [is] some kind of mice droppings or rat droppings,” said Loyd, while escorting 11 News through a vacant unit.
In addition to debris, there were pink pills on a counter, and clothing and blankets on the floor where people have either left them behind or kept them there in case they needed a free place to sleep.
Continue Reading This Story >
Read more about: 77039, Condos for Sale, Crime, Foreclosures, Hazards, Pine Village North
From the Village News:
“Johns” may be sad to see the Southampton brothel close, but the neighborhood is glad to see the nuisance gone.
The location of Asian Massage Villa, 2401 Sunset at Morningside, appeared vacant after a notice of eviction was served by the property owner. . . .
“Their little driveway was always full at night and people were parking wherever they could. HPD and the city attorney’s office really did a fabulous job with this,” said [Southampton Extension Civic Association President Ann] Hightower. . . .
[The establishment's] little door was around the side and towards the back on Morningside. There was no sign, just a lighted doorway and some stickers indicating donations to emergency responders.
Photo of 2401 Sunset Blvd.: LoopNet
Read more about: 77098, Crime, Neighborhood Disputes, Nightlife, Parking, Rice-Village, Southampton Extension
April 28, 2009 – 10:32 am
Jerry and Wynonne Hart are scheduled to be sentenced today for “misapplication of fiduciary property” in the operation of their auction business at the Hart Galleries. In return for the couple’s guilty plea, prosecutors dropped charges of theft and money laundering.
11 News reporter Dave Fehling spoke to several former Hart Galleries customers:
The auction house thrived for years. The Harts enjoyed a sterling reputation among the rich and not so rich who all trusted the Harts to sell their valuables. But around 2003, something strange began happening . . .
. . . the Harts auctioned furniture and antiques for John Zielinski and his wife.
They were expecting to get $20,000.
“And I said, ‘where’s our money?’ And they said, ‘we’re having difficulty collecting some of the checks,’” said Zielinski.
The next thing Harts’ customers learned was that the couple was bankrupt.
Continue Reading This Story >
Read more about: 77057, 77063, 77098, Antiques, Bankruptcies, Crime, Fraud, Furniture, Galleria, Redevelopment, Retail, Upper Kirby
A Swamplot reader from the Missouri City neighborhood of Quail Glen writes in asking for help figuring out what to do about a neighbor who’s tapped her water line:
“. . . the guilty party had dug up the ground and connected a line from [their house] (previous and currently disconnected for several months) into the active line that provides water that we are paying for. This investigation was initially sparked during January 2009 due to skyrocketing water bills. After several visits to our home and meter, the City of Houston discovered the problem on today. When confronted, the inhabitants fabricated a story saying that they pay a 300.00 water bill each month to the City of Houston (despite their account being disconnected) and that they are moving anyway.
Our reader has a bit more to say about those neighbors:
Continue Reading This Story >
Read more about: 77489, Crime, Missouri City, Neighborhood Disputes, Quail Glen, Utilities
March 26, 2009 – 11:16 am
There was something fishy about that home on Shady Canyon, Amber Rogers found out. She gave a $2500 deposit to Jonathan Soto, but it turns out he was renting out the same property to other people too. Cut to dual-renter ambush in Stone Gate subdivision: “Rogers says she hid in the garage and called 911. She came out right when Soto was giving his sales pitch. ‘When he turned around and saw me, I could have sworn he thought he saw a ghost. It almost knocked him off his feet. It was hilarious,’ Rogers said. Rogers says he tried to escape through a window. ‘I was the closest one to him. I grabbed him and I threw him into the wall,’ Rogers said. . . . Rogers says it was a good thing the police arrived when they did. Soto was carrying a gun, and according to her, he appeared to be reaching for it.” [11 News]
Read more about: 77095, Crime, Fraud, Leasing
Comment of the Day: I Was a Schmuck for Michael B. Smuck
“. . . We, as managers, were forced to lie to residents about repairs as no company would sell us supplies. We had numerous occassions where trash service and water were stopped due to non-paynment. New residents were moved into dirty apartments with shoddy repairs, old uncleaned carpet and were expected to deal with it. All ‘extras’ tenents had come to expect were discontinued when MBS took over. I was also employed when our christmas paychecks bounced, although it didn’t happen at all properties. Forget a refund on your deposit as well. Even if the apartment was left in perfect condition we were forcefully told to find something to charge them for to keep all their money. Keep in mind all of what I experienced happened before Katrina — I was long gone by then. Working for those people made me leave the apartment industry for good.” [Laura, commenting on The Lodge at Baybrook: Smuck Survivor]