Houston: Former Midtown tenant claims unjust eviction after reporting break-in attempts
Houston: Former Midtown tenant claims unjust eviction for reporting attempted break-ins
A former tenant of a Midtown complex claims she was unjustly evicted after reporting multiple attempted break-ins at her apartment, captured on security footage. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with the former tenant and managers at the complex.
HOUSTON - A former tenant of a Midtown apartment complex alleges she was unjustly evicted following multiple attempted break-ins at her apartment, despite reporting the incidents to management.
Incident details
VIDEO: 2 break-in attempts at same Midtown Houston apartment
A former tenant of a Midtown apartment complex shared video of two break-in attempts on March 22 and March 24. In one incident, three men, including one wearing a red shirt with "Retired Drug Dealer," were seen using a crowbar to gain entry.
What we know:
On March 22, at 2:42 p.m., security footage captured two men attempting to break into an apartment at Drewery Place. The video shows the perpetrators covering the cameras.
Two days later, on March 24 at 3:10 p.m., three men, including one wearing a red shirt with "Retired Drug Dealer," were seen using a crowbar to gain entry. A third man was also caught on camera pulling an assault rifle out of his pants.
What we don't know:
No one involved in these incidents has been identified at this time. Police tell FOX 26 that they tried to find fingerprints from these incidents, but none were found.
Tenant's experience
What they're saying:
Joyce Ese, the affected tenant, expressed her distress over the incidents. "The first break-in, they came up to the 9th floor, and I have no idea how they got access, because our apartments are supposed to be very secure," Ese said.
While on vacation in Hawaii, Ese was alerted to the break-ins via her Ring camera. "By the grace of God and shout out to Ring cameras, both me and my neighbors got alerted, and we were able to speak to them through the Ring cameras," she added.
Reflecting on the situation, Ese commented, "Risking your life for some shoes or clothes is kind of silly. This is something that's not really necessary."
Management's response
Ese reported the attempted break-ins to the property manager, who advised her to file a police report, which she did. After the second attempt, Ese claims the staff became unhelpful and gave her three days to vacate the premises. "It's supposed to be a secure and luxury place. It's the reason why I decided to move here," Ese said.
Apartment Complex's reaction
The other side:
FOX 26 reached out to Drewery Place's property manager and leasing staff for a response to the tenant's allegations and inquiries about their security procedures. The apartment complex told FOX 26 that they reached a mutual agreement with the tenant to vacate the apartment since she felt unsafe living there.
In order for the tenant to break her lease without any fees and receive her security deposit, they agreed she had to leave within three days. The apartment complex said Ese will be receiving her deposit in full by April 30 due to the apartment's policy of depositing 30 days from the move-out date.
The Drewery Place said that according to Houston Police's investigation, this was an isolated incident.
The apartment complex has since increased security patrol presence in and outside the complex, including the ninth floor.
Drewery Place statement
"Following a police investigation, it was confirmed that this was an isolated incident. The safety of our residents is our highest priority and additional security measures have been implemented at the property. We cannot comment further on lease discussions with residents."
The Source: FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with Joyce Ese and reached out to the Drewery Place's property manager and staff.