Detroit Leland House tenants still waiting to retrieve belongings

Nearly four months after dozens of Leland House tenants were evacuated from their homes, the battle to allow them to retrieve their belongings now sits in bankruptcy court.

"Our position has been that the city of Detroit could have allowed these residents to go into that building at any time and remove their belongings. All they had to do was unlock the door," said attorney Donovan McCarty.

Attorneys for the displaced residents say they met with the city's corporation counsel all day Wednesday to try to come to an agreement, but couldn't.

"We've been put in a position where we're negotiating with the city to allow us access to the building. The city is saying, 'Well, it's the debtor's fault. They're the ones who allowed the building to fall into disrepair,'" said McCarty.

Those with the city say giving building access to tenants is a much larger undertaking.

"Property owners really do have an extraordinary obligation, both to the citizens in general and their tenants in particular, to maintain their buildings in proper order. All of us then are compromised by your failure to do your job," said Conrad Mallett, corporation counsel for the city of Detroit.

With no decision reached, the case was adjourned until April 9 to give both sides time to come to an agreement.

In her ruling to adjourn, Judge Maria Oxholm said she wants the final action of the property to work for the debtor, but also getting people access to their homes needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

"We are still looking at having the entire process completed by the end of April, but I had hoped for us to be able to start Monday, and it doesn't look like that's going to be the case," said Mallett.

The lawyers for the tenant's union are hopeful they can file a motion by early next week to get the removal process underway.

"We're close to the end of these folks being able to get their belongings," said McCarty.