Dozens of former residents of The Cooper inched forward Wednesday in their quest to reconnect with their belongings after a fire left the Fort Worth apartment complex uninhabitable.
A group of 59 tenants want a temporary injunction to stop The Cooper’s owners and management from destroying or disposing of the contents from their former apartments. They said legal reassurance is necessary because of “major distrust” of the companies.
“We’re just simply saying that they can’t unilaterally decide to destroy everyone’s personal property,” said Ty Stimpson, an attorney representing the tenants.
After two days of arguments and testimonies, Judge Christopher Taylor of Tarrant County’s 48th District Court said Wednesday afternoon he intends to issue a decision by Monday that will satisfy both sides.
Taylor said he plans to carefully draft a temporary injunction that would grant tenants assurance that their property wouldn’t be needlessly destroyed and would not slow the progress of Cooper construction crews.
Roger Diseker, an attorney representing The Cooper’s owners and property management, argued that an injunction would only complicate matters as management is already doing everything it can, which includes providing 24/7 security at the property and erecting a 6-foot-tall chain link fence around its perimeter.
Diseker said no one from The Cooper wants to destroy tenants’ belongings without cause.
However, if construction crews are barred from disposing of tenants’ property, he said, that would heavily hinder their progress in clearing debris from the building and assessing its structural safety. Because some apartment units were destroyed in the fire, many personal items are lost in the rubble and must be removed, he added.
“I argue against an injunction that is going to cause more problems than it will solve,” Diseker said.
The tenants’ request is part of their lawsuit against The Cooper’s owners and current and former property management, and the electricians they allege are responsible for a six-alarm fire at the complex June 23. The lawsuit alleges that recklessness and negligence from an electrician not fully trained caused the fire that displaced more than 800 tenants and seeks $1 million in damages.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the tenants’ attorneys said they were seeking legal reassurance that their clients’ personal belongings wouldn’t be destroyed without permission and that The Cooper provides reasonable security on the property. They asked that if the apartment buildings are demolished, The Cooper must allow tenants to first inspect their possessions, if physically safe to do so.
The request for an injunction, filed Aug. 6, came after The Cooper’s property management notified tenants July 31 that Building 1, where the fire took place, was unsafe to enter due to mold and other health hazards.
The Cooper told some tenants their apartments were a total loss and that their personal belongings would be destroyed. Other tenants were told their units were still being assessed.
The property’s second building has since been deemed safe for tenants to retrieve their belongings and that effort is ongoing.
In the seven weeks since the fire, displaced tenants have demanded transparency and accountability from The Cooper’s management, which they claimed had been “radio silent.”
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org.
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