A Houston couple says a bullet hole in their bathroom wall has become the final straw after years of living near a troubled Meyerland apartment complex.
Lisa and Alan Lipman told ABC13 Houston they woke up nine days ago and found the damage inside their home. Alan Lipman said the bullet came through at head level, which made the discovery especially frightening.
The couple believes the bullet came from the nearby Life at Jackson Square Apartments on North Braeswood Boulevard. The complex, formerly known as Nob Hill Apartments, has faced years of scrutiny over crime, code violations, deteriorating conditions, and complaints from nearby homeowners.
For homeowners, the case reaches beyond one damaged wall. A troubled neighboring property can affect how safe residents feel inside their homes, how confident they are in the block, and whether longtime owners still feel comfortable staying where they have lived for decades.
The Bullet Went Through A Bathroom Wall
The Lipmans told ABC13 the damage was found in their bathroom. Alan Lipman said that if someone had been standing there, the bullet would have been at head level.
FOX 26 Houston reported that Alan Lipman said neighbors hear gunshots almost nightly from the direction of the apartment complex. The couple told local reporters they no longer feel safe in the home they have lived in for more than 40 years.
The Complex Has Open City Cases
ABC13 reported that the City of Houston has several open nuisance and dangerous-building cases involving the property and filed a lawsuit last year seeking to shut it down.
FOX 26 reported that Houston has five nuisance cases and three dangerous-building cases tied to the complex. The station also reported that the city would not comment on the nuisance lawsuit because the case is pending.
ABC13 reported that attorneys for the complex denied all allegations in response to the city’s lawsuit.
Neighbors Say They Are Losing Patience
Residents and nearby homeowners pointed to trash, boarded-up windows, overgrown grass, red code-violation tags, squatters, crime concerns, and deteriorating conditions at the complex.
Some residents inside the complex also told ABC13 they were concerned about safety and living conditions. One resident said people should not be sitting in heat or darkness when bills are paid.
The Lipmans told ABC13 they are now considering moving. For nearby homeowners, the damage to one bathroom wall is only part of the concern when a long-running nuisance and code-enforcement fight sits across the property line.