Residents face being thrown out of their homes this holiday season because landlord is behind on payments
CROSBY, Texas - Some area residents fear they could be homeless for the holidays. Residents, who live in some Crosby trailer homes say, although they are current on their rent, they received notices that their landlord is behind on her mortgage and their homes are being repossessed this week.
"This puts us in a bad situation," says one woman.
At a time of year when the big question seems to be 'what am I getting my kiddos for Christmas’, instead in this neighborhood, it’s 'where are we going to live this holiday'?
"My daughter’s birthday is Christmas Eve and it’s Christmas, the holidays. I just don’t know," says Queneshia who has lived in her trailer home since earlier in the year.
"If they were to say we’ve got to get out on the 15th, then in a sense, we’re homeless," says resident Don Franklin.
According to the notices the residents received, the trailers will be repossessed on December 15, 2021. That’s Wednesday.
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"Today I took off work early to go look for a place to stay. I have kids, my neighbors have kids. This is upsetting," says Queneshia.
The landlord, according to the notice, is behind by more than $30,000, and this group of residents which says the trash hasn’t been picked up in some time, isn’t the first to have trouble with landlord, Ila Irwin.
In August 2019, FOX 26 caught up with Irwin after her tenant caught her on tape calling him the n-word after she posted a sign on the property saying "Cowboys and Cowgirls only. No n-words." Her son told us then, "I’m sorry she said what she said," and she quickly interrupted, "I’m not sorry. I’m not sorry a bit."
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This time she didn’t return our calls or open the gate when we went to her home and the company coming to repossess the trailers says they’ll have someone call me back. Meantime, residents say they have no idea what they’re going to do.
"I’m sad for them because it is Christmas time and it’s ridiculous. Me and my fiancé are about to move too, because of the fact that she’s just not a good landlord. We lived with mold for almost six months," says resident Rosalee Cusson.
"I’m taking off on the 15th to meet them there and talk to them myself because they're the ones that are repoing the trailers," says Franklin.
In fact, several residents say they will have to take off work on Wednesday to try and make arrangements with whomever comes out to take the homes away and ask if they can stay at least through Christmas.