City of Dallas code enforcement posted a “Notice of Violation” against Caven Enterprises because an unhoused couple was littering the parking lot behind 4001 Cedar Springs Road.
But littering is not the problem. The couple set up a tent between the sidewalk and the curb, which is city property. But litter had blown onto the parking lot, now owned by PegasusAblon and leased to Caven Enterprises.
According to city codes, “an owner, occupant or person in control of private premises commits an offense if he places, deposits or throws; permits to accumulate; or permits or causes to be place, deposited or thrown, any litter on the premises or in or on any gutter or parkway adjacent to the premises or on one-half of that portion of an alley adjacent to the premises.” But, again, that’s not the problem. Caven will have the litter removed this afternoon.
Caven President and CEO Mikey Nguyen responded to the posted violation soon after it went up and when police arrived, they told him they appreciated his quick response. City officials were making the couple pack up and move, but weren’t offering any place to go, Nguyen said. They’ll move a couple of blocks and just become someone else’s problem.
Nguyen said this couple is a particular problem because they are responsible for setting fires in the neighborhood to keep warm, but large enough that the fire department has been called.
Nguyen said homelessness was a much bigger problem and he’d like to help find a solution.
“I’m open to the most humane and best solution we can find,” he said. “We need to find them a shelter or housing, I’d be all about that. It’s a situation that could happen to any one of us.”
— David Taffet
