Story Archive

Looks Are Everything

“I got this notice on my car saying that they were gonna tow my car tomorrow,” said Sontlux Sukhavachana. The notice is from the Biltmore Apartments in Dallas, Texas, where he lives. Ohio based Fath Properties, which owns the apartment complex, explained that their policy is to remove tenants’ cars that have any dents or flaws in them. “We understand that your automobile is a personal item,” the policy says, “however, we believe that a car that is not well maintained detracts from the overall appearance of our customer’s [sic] home.” Sukhavachana says the cost of repairing the single dent in his car would make it so he couldn’t afford rent the next month. Several online reviews of the property claim the company doesn’t do proper maintenance, and are illustrated with photos of mold, water damage, and other issues. “They seem to hold tenants to a much higher standard than they hold themselves,” said Sandy Rollins, executive director of the Texas Tenants’ Union. (MS/KTVT Dallas) ...So if the tenants lived in their cars, it would be a step up.