BEAUMONT – A district judge has denied an injunction seeking to stop the city of Port Arthur from demolishing a building that was damaged during Hurricane Harvey.
Seeking more than $1 million in damages, Rema Charles Wolf filed a petition against the city on Nov. 16 in Jefferson County District Court.
Wolf claims the building at 1101 Proctor Street was never hazardous to anyone and that the city committed fraud by not giving a permit to fix the building.
A week after the suit was filed, the city of Port Arthur filed a plea to the jurisdiction, asserting that two-thirds of building had already been demolished by the time the city received notice of the TRO and the structure now posses a serious safety risk.
A hearing on the plea and inunction was held Feb. 4 in Judge Baylor Wortham’s 136th District Court.
According to a courthouse official, the injunction was denied, making the plea moot.
On top of exemplary damages, Wolf was suing the city for $150,000 for loss of use of the building, mental anguish damages, fraud damages of $400,000 and $750,000 if the building was torn down.
Senior Assistant City Attorney Gaylyn Cooper represents the city.
Cause No. D-202920