They lost their homes, and now they say their landlord and building manager are ghosting them.
Tenants displaced by a massive fire at an apartment complex in Fort Worth’s Near Southside two weeks ago staged a protest Monday night demanding answers from Cushman & Wakefield and Jay Schuminsky’s Lightbulb Capital Group, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
The June 23 blaze, one of the largest in city history, triggered a six-alarm response and displaced more than 800 residents from the 390-unit Cooper complex at 1001 West Rosedale Street. As the smoke cleared, frustration grew.
Residents say communication from Cushman and Lightbulb has been sparse to nonexistent. They reported not being allowed to retrieve belongings but said they’ve seen workers enter their units without notice.
Protestors gathered at a nearby bar before marching to the complex garage, where they said security guards laughed at their signs and called the police. Fort Worth officers responded but couldn’t reach anyone from the management team, according to the outlet.
“They say different things to different people,” tenant Hayley Schmolze said. “So, it’s hard to believe what they’re saying, and a lot of times they don’t even reply to emails, phone calls, texts.”
Some residents filed police reports after Ring cameras captured unknown men in their apartments. Others, like Amy Vo, said locks were changed without explanation. “The situation is already scary and stressful,” she said.
The fire appeared to originate on the roof and led to partial structural collapse. One resident was hospitalized and six others were treated for heat exhaustion on site. The building, opened in 2020, is closed while engineers assess its integrity.
The incident raises questions about the crisis response capabilities of third-party managers like Cushman when disaster strikes. Several tenants are seeking legal help to understand their rights and whether lease terminations or potential reimbursements are forthcoming.
The long-term status of the property is in the air. With no timeline for reentry and no formal communication from the owners, the protestors said they’ll keep pressing for transparency and accountability.
Mustang, Oklahoma–based Lightbulb Capital was founded by Schuminsky shortly after the entrepreneur sold 52 of his All Storage self-storage facilities to Public Storage for $1.5 billion in December 2021. Public records show the Cooper’s developer, Dallas-based Lang Partners, sold the apartment complex to All Storage affiliates in 2022. Schuminsky’s firm has since bought up multiple multifamily, retail and storage properties throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
— Judah Duke
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