Munger Place property owner's renovations racked with theft, vandalism
DALLAS — Michael Solares' passion for construction keeps getting met by outside resistance as he renovates the Courtyard Apartments on Gaston Avenue in Munger Place's Historic District.
"I've dedicated a third of my life here," Solares said.
The 31-year-old took over the family-owned property and started renovating it 10 years ago. Since then, Solares' goal of converting the real estate has run into problems, including mischievous teenage boys and theft.
"The young kids, the teenagers, they're not looking to steal. They're looking more to vandalize, break walls, break toilets, break sinks," he said.
Solares said he was planning on replacing windows in the units, but the teens forced him to put up plywood after smashing the glass. More recently, he said the property's surveillance system caught the youngsters messing with the swimming pool.
"They came in and just dumped a whole 100-pound (bucket of) chlorine tablets into the pool," Solares said.
Dallas Police have not caught the vandals, he said, who struck his property in the summer and during the Christmas break.
Children are not behind the latest obstacle at the complex. Solares said he saw two men on the surveillance system who stole a dual tandem trailer to haul away construction trash.
"The gall they had to steal in broad daylight, a trailer that's worth tens of thousands," he said.
According to Solares, he and his crew clocked out around 6 p.m. on Friday. He said about 20 minutes later, a blue Chevy Silverado drove up. Wearing neon-colored shirts and sky masks, the men casually hooked up to his $27,000 trailer and drove away.
"And each load will probably cost---if someone else were to do it--- easily $500 a load," he said.
It's a price the property may have to pay until he gets a new trailer, which may cost upwards of $71,000. Solares said he's forgiven the thieves because they won't steal his dream.
"It lets me know that I'm that much closer to where I want to be," he said. "I don't think hardships would happen to somebody that wasn't getting to their end goal."
Dallas Police said the matter remains under investigation.
