HOUSTON, Texas – Clothing donation boxes are a common sight across Houston, often placed in convenient locations for residents looking to donate items.
However, some business owners are questioning how these boxes end up on their property without their consent.
One of the latest incidents involves a donation bin at a fast-food restaurant in Houston. A manager at an El Pollo Loco restaurant noticed a box appeared on their property without permission, and paperwork associated with the bin seemed to indicate their signature had been used for authorization. However, the manager insists she never signed the paperwork.
“I never signed anything for the boxes. It looks like my signature, but I didn’t sign it,” the manager said by video phone call when shown the application, which contained her name and a signature. “I even called multiple times to remove it, but nothing was done,” Blanca Galindo said.
In response, KPRC 2 Investigates reached out to ATRS, the company that owns the donation bins, for clarification. The representative acknowledged the situation, promising to look into the matter, but noted they had not encountered a similar issue before.
“We’ll figure out what’s going on,” said a spokesperson from ATRS. “But this isn’t a common problem.”
Further investigation revealed another similar case at a nearby Burger King. The restaurant’s manager confirmed that a donation bin had been placed on their property without their permission. “I didn’t authorize it, and I called them to have it removed,” the manager explained. “They never got back to me.”
Houston residents who notice unauthorized donation bins on their property are encouraged to contact 311 for assistance.
KPRC 2 Investigates is looking into how widespread this issue might be and is asking those affected to come forward.
“We want to understand just how big this problem is,” reporter Joel Eisenbaum said.
Email your similar complaints to him at jeisenbaum@kprc.com
ATRS Chief Operations Officer Gilberto J. Regalado Jr. sent us the following statement after our story aired.
I am writing to formally address inaccuracies in a recent KPRC 2 report regarding ATRS and our donation bin operations. The report contained false allegations regarding non-permitted bins and falsified signatures, which we strongly refute.
To clarify, ATRS obtains authorized signatures from property owners, property management companies and/or tenants based on the requirements set by the city we operate in. As one of the largest clothing and shoe donation collection companies in Houston, we take our responsibility seriously, ensuring that all lease agreements and documentation are properly executed. The donation collection industry is highly competitive, and unfortunately, not all participants follow the same ethical and legal standards that ATRS upholds. We take pride in maintaining compliance and have clear documentation to support our legitimacy and leadership in this field.
We kindly request that KPRC 2 review its reporting on this matter and ensure that accurate and fair information is presented to the public. Please let us know how we can assist in providing factual clarification.
