HOUSTON – In Houston’s Oak Forest subdivision, some homes sit behind construction fencing, incomplete and untouched for months, in some cases, years, leaving residents worried about more than just property values.
“It was sitting before the derecho hit, and it had been that way for months,” said Yolanda Rico-Pyron, who lives near one such home.
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“It seems like a bigger issue… I feel like a magnet for these businesses,” Rico-Pyron added. She’s watched as builders buy lots in the deed-restricted neighborhood with plans for large new homes only for progress to stall or stop completely.
At least three homes in the area on Chippendale, Viking, and De Milo have sat idle for months. Others, she says, have gone a year or more without any work.
“We’ve done everything,” Rico-Pyron said. “I called 311, reached out to the HOA, and even spoke to someone in the city’s legal department. But it’s a catch-22, the city is limited on what they can enforce, and the HOA has no power to make anyone follow through.”
The City of Houston’s Legal Department website states enforcement is often tied to deed restrictions. Unless a structure is classified as dangerous or violates specific easements, the city’s ability to intervene is limited.
Still, residents are encouraged to help build a case by collecting the following:
- Pictures of the suspected violation
- Eyewitness accounts from those who observe activity firsthand
- Daily logs detailing what was seen, including vehicle details or potential contractor visits
- Any printed or documentary evidence related to property use
The city’s Deed Restriction Enforcement Team can investigate, but it requires supporting evidence.
“I just want to know what we can do as citizens, as taxpayers, to make sure we’re protected from squatters, rodents, and dropping property values,” Rico-Pyron said.
KPRC 2 reached out to the city’s legal department, department of neighborhoods, and public works for comment. As of this publishing, KPRC 2 has not heard back from the city.
Over on Viking Drive. Armando Araujo and his wife purchased their home years ago with a plan for it to be their retirement home. He lives next to a home, he says, and hasn’t been touched in three months.
“They get red-tagged, but they’re ignored. For months, no one’s here. And then you just don’t know what’s going to happen something could fly off the house,” Araujo said.
He says animals often move from the vacant property onto his and the structure’s unfinished state could easily invite trespassers.
“Hey, it’s their property. They can do what they want. But at this point, it’s like… can we just move this along?”
The Viking home has received a red tag from the City of Houston dated August 7, 2025.
Rico-Pyron says she will continue to check in with her neighbors for updates on the homes, until someone steps in before the issue worsens.
