by Commissioners of the Fort Worth Building Standards recently handled a number of instances regarding unusable, subpar properties.
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Fort Worth Building Standards Commission
Regular monthly meeting
Name of documenter: Lou Chapman
Fort Worth Building Standards Commission is the agency.
Date: 28 July 2025
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Prior to the meeting
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MONTHLY REGULAR MEETING
I. Make an order call
II. The Allegiance Pledge
III. Taking Building Standards into Account Minutes of the June 23 meeting of the commission.Commissioners didn’t say anything or alter anything.
IV. The evidentiary packet for the cases now on the schedule is presented.Completed
V. In the interpreter, swear.Completed
VI. Those who intend to testify should swear in.finished in bulk
VII. Cases to be removed from the agenda for today
ACP 25-77, ACP-25-81, ACP-25-83, HS-25-73, HS-25-80, and HS2581 cases were removed.
VIII. Lunch break for commissioners
IX. Residential new cases
Background of the case:According to Marilyn Turner-Mims, the city’s code enforcement open plans officer, code enforcement officer Max Morris started the case on February 27. The city served the owner three letters on February 27, March 1, and May 8. On July 10, Joseph Yammine, the property’s owner, conducted a city inspection. The house was in poor and dangerous condition, according to the inspector. The foundation appears inadequate and separating, the floor is unsupported throughout with no water surface, the subfloors are bowing or broken, the plumbing is broken or disconnected, the breaker box is damaged, the electrical is turned off after an illegal connection is found, and the floor is separating at the joints. Commissioners were informed by Yammine that he did not receive any of the notices. Black urged Yammine to explain his strategy for resolving the dangerous and subpar situation. According to Yammine, he requested 90 days’ notice and was given 30. Black inquired about Yammine’s tenure as the property’s owner. Yammine answered after a long pause. Yammine claimed that since December, he has not received his rent. According to him, the renters who were still there a few weeks ago have now left. When Black asked, Yammine replied that he had cleaned the building since his tenants had vacated. He attributed the property’s issues on homelessness and a high level of criminal activity in the neighborhood. To bring the property up to code, he requested ninety days. “The house is in good shape; it’s not like they said,” he remarked, referring to the commissioners’ view of the staff report and images. Dike inquired about Yammine’s permit status. According to Yammine, as of this meeting, he had not made any requests. When Doddy and Dike questioned him about why he hadn’t applied for permissions, Yammine replied that he was out of town and his tenants were ill. “I’m trying to get the money together to fix the house,” Yammine remarked. He claims that because these people are out of town, he must borrow the money, which takes time. He again requested 90 days, acknowledging that he had no cash, no permit requests, and no work plan. The city employees asked for a 30-day order to either fix or demolish. Yammine said, “You guys are biased,” to the commission.
Action: Doddy filed a motion to deem the property substandard and mandate that it be repaired or demolished within ninety days. The motion was seconded by Alu. “I’m going to put my trust in the owner to finish things,” he stated.Black claimed that because the owner lacked funding and a work plan, he did not support the 90-day period. As a compromise, Castles suggested allowing Yammine 45 days to either demolish or repair. Dike inquired as to what Yammine would need to finish in ninety days. Castles suggested starting the job and asking the owner for an extension after that. Doddy recommended 90 days to obtain blueprints, approvals, and funding. Instead of 90 days, the motion was changed to 45 days. The proposal was approved 6-2.
Background of the case:According to senior city code compliance officer Jason Pittman, the investigation started on June 13 when a resident filed a complaint. On July 17, the owner was present when the city conducted an inspection of the property. In violation of the minimal requirements, the auxiliary structure lacks brick and siding, the base is uneven, the brick walls are crumbling and collapsing, and the window frames and windows are broken. Although the home itself—not the structure in the backyard—has a historical status, the owner had made the decision to demolish it last week. The owner is following the procedures to get authorization to fix the house. The city staff asks that the ancillary structure be deemed dangerous and subpar, and that the owner be given a 30-day notice period to either demolish or fix it. The owners are awaiting approval of the certificate of occupancy, therefore Allison Ramos, acting on their behalf, asked for sixty days. She claimed the permit was still pending. She stated that everything is still waiting. Black mentioned that the owner has 30 days to ask for an extension. By a vote of 8 to 0, the commission declared the ancillary construction unsafe and subpar and ordered that it be repaired or demolished within 60 days.
3) The major structure, HS-25-77 (Council District 3)7732 Chapin Road, and HS-25-82 (the property), also known as Lot 17, Lot 18, and the east part of Lot 19, Block 9, Bankhead Estates, are listed in Tarrant County, Texas, Deed Records, Volume 388-A, Block 121. Fog Family Revocable Living Trust is the owner. Washington Mutual Bank Goodleap LLC is the lienholder.Background of the case:Richard Montelius, a Fort Worth code officer, said the case originated in late January as the result of a serious fire on that date. The structure is vacant and secured and in substandard and hazardous condition, with walls collapsing, plumbing melted or nonworking due to fire, outlets and electrical in complete system failure ; and unsafe second-floor subfloor and joists. The city had several contacts with the owner s representative and gave them 30 days to repair or demolish.
Testimony:Owner Phyllis Greer said the family was home when the fire started. Her daughter suffered a heart attack in February, she said, and their contractor XP Restorations is working on a restoration and has essentially gutted the house with nothing left except the boards. We just want to get our house back. We re hoping it is going to be complete in January, she said. Insurance gave them a year. It is almost a 100-year-old home. We just want our home back. XP Restorations representatives said they were asking for six to eight months to complete the restoration. They offered to present a scope of work, but don t have a work schedule with dates.
Action: Staff and commission said the most they can offer is a 90-day window without a schedule of work. They can amend the permit later. A commissioner moved the building be declared substandard and issued a repair-or-demolish-within-90-days order. The motion passed 8-0.
4) HS-25-78 (CD 11)4416 Quails Lane (primary structure) aka Lot 5, Block 4, Whitehall Addition, second filing, to the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, according to the plat filed in Book 388-3, Page 132, Deed Records of Tarrant County, Texas. Owner: Louis Mitchell and Gloria Mitchell. Lienholder: None
Cased background:Jason Pittman of the staff said the case originated in late January after a fire. The structure is vacant and secured. Walls, roofing, plumbing and electrical systems were damaged in the fire. Other fire damage was due to a lack of building code standards in the original structure. Keith Mitchell of Kennedale appeared for the owners, his parents. They requested a repair-or-demolish-in-90-days order, with their full work plan and start dates. Jamie Davis, of the contractor XP Restorations, told commissioners permits are in the approval process. The work will take six months, and the applicants asked to return in 90 days and show progress. Dike moved approval of a motion for an order to repair or demolish within 90 days. The motion passed 8-0.
5) HS-25-79 (CD 6) 5620 Como Drive(primary structure) aka Lot 16, Block 19, Harlem Hills Addition, City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, according to the plat thereof recorded in Volume 1717, Page 429, of plat records of Tarrant County, Texas. Owner: Melvin Watts. Lienholder: None
Case background:Richard Montillias of the code enforcement staff, said the case originated in October 2023 after a fire at the location. The city sent notices to the owner in October and November 2023 and January and July 2024. There are no active permits. City staff inspected the property June 25 with a representative of the owner. The primary structure is unsafe and substandard, with a partially collapsed ceiling and walls, as well as issues with plumbing and electrical systems. The staff asked the commissioners to approve an order to repair or demolish within 30 days.
Discussion:A caregiver to the owners told commissioners they have a plan to fix the house and had insurance coverage, but didn t receive information the city was considering demolishing it. Black asked how long it would take to repair the damage. The caregiver responded 90 days and said she s been obtaining quotes. Commissioners asked questions to clarify who owns the property.
Action: Commissioners approved a motion, 8-0, to declare the property substandard and hazardous. After some discussion, they approved a motion 8-0 to give the owner 60 days to repair or demolish.
Testimony:Rosita Jackson, one of the owners, testified the property is under compliance now, did it over the weekend. She said her two brothers live there; one is mentally ill and brings junk home and gets violent and distraught when we try to talk to him about it. Code staff said the property appears to be about 95% cleaned up.
Case background:Joshua Washington, city code enforcement officer, said the case began with a citizen complaint in January 2024. Four city inspections followed. The city issued two citations before a nuisance abatement order June 2, 2025. The last inspection was July 24. The city staff requests a $4,400 penalty and removal of items within 30 days. City staff said some progress has been made by the owners toward mitigating the health hazard about 50%. Speaking through an interpreter, and answering Black s questions, Norma Camarillo said she thought 30 days to clean up was sufficient and she has the necessary resources.
Action:Commissioners approved a $2,200 civil penalty by an 8-0 vote, and a motion to abate in 30 days by an 8-0 vote.
Case background:Case initiated Jan. 3, 2024, by a code officer. Since then, the city has initiated 18 inspections, the most recent on July 24. The city did initiate a nuisance abatement order, which has since expired. Mike Phipps, who lives nearby, told commissioners the occupant of the home lives in his car, not the house. The owner allows vagrants to live there and sex offenders to use it as an address.The owner does not and has not ever had control of this property over the years, he said. Drug addicts live in the backyard, he said.
Action:Commissioners approved a $13,200 fine, 8-0, and a motion 8-0 giving the owner 30 days to clean the site up.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us [email protected] Correction Request in the subject line.
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