A pair of Fort Worth residents face “imminent and irreparable harm” if the nuisance caused by a long-beleaguered motel is not stopped, a pro bono legal team from Troutman Pepper Locke and the Dallas-based nonprofit Advocates for Community Transformation are arguing in Tarrant County.
The lawsuit, brought by two residents of the West Meadowbrook neighborhood who are using pseudonyms, is the latest brought against the Eco Motel and its owners under the state’s common nuisance statute. The defendants deny all allegations and object to the plaintiffs’ use of pseudonyms.
The city of Fort Worth has sued the motel at least three times — in 1999, 2015 and 2024 — according to the most recent litigation. A Tarrant County judge entered a temporary injunction against the motel in June 2024. The city dismissed that lawsuit in April, stating that the issues had been resolved. But the criminal activity resumed shortly after the injunction was lifted, the current plaintiffs allege.
In the 1990s, the state of Texas also brought lawsuits against prior owners of the motel, filing lawsuits in 1992 and 1999 that resulted in final judgments, plaintiffs said.
The current plaintiffs have partnered with ACT, a Christian-based justice organization that connects residents with attorneys to use civil courts to combat neighborhood crime. ACT was founded by Reid Porter, a former trial lawyer at Walters, Balido & Crain.
ACT attorney Edward “Teddy” Brookins is representing the plaintiffs, along with a team from Troutman’s Dallas office, led by partner Carl Scherz and associates Louisa Karam, Taylor Levesque, Katherine Wright, Tucker Davison, Kaci Jones, Kara Foister and Sophia Westphal.
The defendants — RMP Hospitality, Shetal Patel and Eco Motel — are represented by Lance “Luke” Beshara, a partner in Patel Gaines’s Fort Worth office.
The case is assigned to the 236th District Court. Judge Tom Lowe, who has one year remaining in his term, has stated in open court that he plans to retire at the end of the year for health reasons and that a successor has not yet been appointed.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers declined to comment while litigation is pending on how and why they decided to dedicate their pro bono resources to this case.
For decades, the Eco Motel has been a hub for drugs, prostitution, violence and other criminal activity, according to plaintiffs’ filings. Between April 26, just after the city’s injunction was lifted, and July 17, Fort Worth police received 96 calls involving the motel, plaintiffs state in a Dec. 12 brief supporting their request for a temporary injunction and for the appointment of a receiver.
Plaintiffs’ lawyers argue that the prior lawsuits, also filed under Chapter 125 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, are evidence the owners had knowledge of illegal activity at the motel and failed to take reasonable steps to abate it.
A Dec. 15 hearing on the request drew more than 55 supporters, including Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, District 11 Councilperson Jeanette Martinez and City Attorney Benjamin Sampract.
In the hearing, Troutman associate Louisa Karam urged the judge to appoint a receiver to operate the hotel. A receiver, she said, could implement safety measures such as background checks on guests, on-site security and oversight to prevent illegal activity.
The judge instructed the lawyers to confer over whether they could reach a “bandaid” agreement to alleviate immediate concerns, rather than proceed with a multiday hearing. A hearing on the injunction is expected in January.