Tenants at a Plano apartment complex have just days to find new housing after the city obtained a court order citing unsafe and uninhabitable living conditions.
On Tuesday, NBC 5 cameras were at Evana Grove Apartments on Hillridge Drive as residents scrambled to pack and relocate their belongings.
Blue notices posted on doors explained that a Collin County District Court issued a temporary restraining order requiring the property owner and management to vacate all tenants.
According to court documents obtained by NBC 5, the restraining order sought by the City of Plano followed repeated reports of city code violations, environmental hazards and a lack of basic utilities at the property.
Initially, the court gave the property owner just 24 hours to clear the apartments. But Tuesday afternoon, city officials said the owner filed a motion to dissolve the order. The new deadline for tenants to move out is now Nov. 4.
“We understand how difficult and stressful this situation is for the people living there,” the City of Plano said in a statement. “Our priority is the safety and well-being of everyone in our community. The conditions at Evana Grove are unsafe and unsanitary, leaving residents without gas, water or sewer services.”
Danielle Brehm, a tenant at the complex, said she was at work when her husband called to tell her about the notice.
“We don’t really have anywhere to go. Where do they expect us to go? What are they expecting us to do?” she said.
Brehm said her apartment has had issues since she moved in with her children over the summer.
“Our dishwasher has never worked since day one, there’s mold inside,” she said. “They know there is mold in the apartment; they know there is mold all around everywhere. It’s been problem after problem after problem.”
Curtis Howard, director of neighborhood services for the City of Plano, said the city has long dealt with problems at Evana Grove.
“For the city, this has been a long-term issue,” Howard said. “We’ve been dealing with this complex for a number of years.”
He said the goal is to ensure residents, including families and children, are not living in unsafe conditions.
“You want people to live in a safe place,” he said. “You want kids that are running around a parking lot to be in an area where they’re not going to step into broken glass or run into sewage that’s leaking out of the pavement.”
Howard estimates as many as 200 people could be displaced.
Plano officials said their Neighborhood Services team reached out to residents before the termination of water service, offering help with housing and other needs.
“We will continue working closely with residents to connect them with resources and ensure they have access to safe and sanitary conditions,” the city said.
NBC 5 has reached out to the management at Evana Grove Apartments and to Lurin Real Estate for comment, but has not yet received a response.