Wrong apartment? Woman claims complex mistakenly evicted her family

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A north Harris County woman says she walked into her apartment and just about everything was gone. She called the sheriff's office and tried to get answers from property management.

She couldn't believe her ears when she finally got answers.

"It's no way this should've happened. I can't even stay in my own house that I pay rent at," said J.F. "I came in and none of my stuff was here."

J.F., who asked that we not show her face or use her full name, reported the incident to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

According to the incident report, the call came in as a burglary of a habitation. The report says when she got home, it was in disarray and many items were in trash bags in the living room, and then she said the Palms at Cypress Station leasing office admitted to the mishap.

"It was a mistake. We apologize. That's on us," she said of that conversation.

J.F. said she was told another tenant was evicted, but her unit number was on the order for a crew to clear out. Her attorney, Christy Dockery, said the complex didn't follow eviction procedure.

"They have a constable come out and all the stuff they take out of the apartment would go into storage. Here, they didn't even do that," Dockery explained.

A man visiting his brother in the next building says it only took about 45 minutes to an hour for the crew to wrap up.

"All I seen was a truck pull up and as it pulled up, guys got out the truck and they were throwing items from the balcony onto the truck," Anthony Webster said. "After they got finished with the truck, a car pulled in, they pulled the mattress down, tied it to the top of the car and pulled off."

That crew put her stuff at the dumpster. J.F. said once the leasing office realized the mistake, they brought what was left back.

"We're missing a lot of stuff including money, games, Michael Kors watches, everything," she said.

Management cut her power, so the apartment is unlivable for her and her boyfriend and their 10-month old. She said the complex put them in a hotel for two days, offered her a new mattress and $50 for groceries. She's planning legal action.

"I really am trying to get her some temporary housing until this suit is handled and I'm not getting any responses from anyone," Dockery said.

ABC13 received the same non-response after repeated attempts to ask management how this happened and what they're doing to make it right.

The incident report stated once J.F. gets the complex an inventory, they would work on a resolution.

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