Residents of Detroit's historic Leland House, a once-grand hotel in the heart of downtown, are rallying against what they call a "hostile takeover" by city officials and DTE Energy. The tenants, who have been living in the building since 2012, were ordered to evacuate due to a power outage on December 10th, which left them without heat or light during extreme cold.
The evacuation was sparked after the Detroit Fire Department detected structural hazards within the building. However, residents claim that city officials gave them little warning and no meaningful opportunity to gather their belongings before ordering them out. The fire department has since locked the doors, posting notices barring anyone from reentering the building under threat of arrest.
Residents have expressed outrage over being denied access to their personal belongings, including artwork, laptops, and medication, as well as their pets. Some were even separated from their family members during the evacuation. "We didn't have enough time to gather our wits," said Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist who has lived in the building since 2012.
Attorney Matthew Erard claims that tenants were misled and then shut out of their homes entirely. He adds that confusion and finger-pointing between city departments have left residents with no path forward. Erard points to evidence suggesting that DTE Energy may have deliberately caused the power outage, which he believes could be a deliberate attempt to drive the building's owners into debt.
The City of Detroit disputes the tenants' claims, saying the evacuation was necessary to protect lives and that residents are receiving extensive support. However, city officials acknowledge that all pets left in the building have been rescued and reunited with their owners.
Tenants say Saturday's rally is about more than access to belongings; it's also about the future of the Leland House itself, which has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, lawsuits, and mounting debt. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court recently approved a short-term, high-interest loan for the building's owner, but some fear that this arrangement may be a "hostile takeover" in disguise.
The crisis has raised questions about accountability and transparency within city departments and private companies like DTE Energy. As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: the future of Detroit's historic Leland House hangs in the balance.
The evacuation was sparked after the Detroit Fire Department detected structural hazards within the building. However, residents claim that city officials gave them little warning and no meaningful opportunity to gather their belongings before ordering them out. The fire department has since locked the doors, posting notices barring anyone from reentering the building under threat of arrest.
Residents have expressed outrage over being denied access to their personal belongings, including artwork, laptops, and medication, as well as their pets. Some were even separated from their family members during the evacuation. "We didn't have enough time to gather our wits," said Daryl Stewart, a 67-year-old artist who has lived in the building since 2012.
Attorney Matthew Erard claims that tenants were misled and then shut out of their homes entirely. He adds that confusion and finger-pointing between city departments have left residents with no path forward. Erard points to evidence suggesting that DTE Energy may have deliberately caused the power outage, which he believes could be a deliberate attempt to drive the building's owners into debt.
The City of Detroit disputes the tenants' claims, saying the evacuation was necessary to protect lives and that residents are receiving extensive support. However, city officials acknowledge that all pets left in the building have been rescued and reunited with their owners.
Tenants say Saturday's rally is about more than access to belongings; it's also about the future of the Leland House itself, which has fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, lawsuits, and mounting debt. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court recently approved a short-term, high-interest loan for the building's owner, but some fear that this arrangement may be a "hostile takeover" in disguise.
The crisis has raised questions about accountability and transparency within city departments and private companies like DTE Energy. As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: the future of Detroit's historic Leland House hangs in the balance.
this is so unfair! 
how can they just kick ppl out of their homes w/o warning? 
worst part is people lost fam members & pets 
DTE Energy needs 2 explain wht's goin on 
also city officials need 2 be more transparent 
we need 2 know if it's a "hostile takeover" or not 
ppl r countin on 'em 2 do right thing 
it sounds super unfair to me too, if they didnt give the tenants warning and no chance to grab their stuff whats the point of evicting them? i mean i know the building is in disrepair and all but its still people's homes... dont they deserve some respect?
that was so wrong. and what if they had medication or art supplies in there? it couldve been super disastrous
. And what's with the whole "structural hazards" thing? Can't they see that's just an excuse? It's like city officials are trying to push the building's owner into debt 
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. And have you seen the pics of the building? It's a mess 
. I'm no expert, but it seems like there's a lot of money at play here, and people are getting hurt 
️. We need more accountability and transparency in our city departments and private companies. It's time for some answers 
. This crisis needs a lot of attention 
.
️ But what's even more concerning is that the city officials and DTE Energy are being super secretive about it all. Like, where was this power outage from? Was it an accident or did they do it on purpose? 
. And what really gets my goat is that the city is trying to pass off the evacuation as a good thing when it's clearly not. It's like they're trying to cover their tracks or something 
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. If someone is responsible for this mess, they should have to answer for it. We can't just sweep this under the rug and expect everything to be okay 
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. The future of the Leland House is at stake, and we need to make sure that everyone involved is held accountable 