ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Two homeowners who are suing the city for allowing a homeless encampment on a Tower Grove South intersection for almost three years say they did not get a head ups from the city prior to its removal Thursday, according to their attorney.
For years, the corner of Chippewa Street and South Spring Avenue was occupied by a migrant couple from Sudan who had taken over the corner with their makeshift tent comprised of tarps and shopping carts, with the stench from the makeshift tent and confrontations with residences and businesses annoying many in the area.
Two homeowners in the area, Steven McClanahan and Richard Baumhoff, sued the city in February because of the homeless encampment.
On Thursday, the makeshift tent was no more, as St. Louis City officials cleared out the homeless couple from the corner they had occupied for years.
Bevis Schock, the attorney for Mclanahan and Baumhoff, told KMOX they had zero notice from the city about the removal, saying he got a phone call from the homeowners as crews began to clear out the camp Thursday morning.
"All of a sudden, here come the good guys from the city and removed the homeless couple," said Schock to KMOX's Sean Malone. "I understand it wasn't a pleasant process."
A spokesperson for Mayor Tishaura Jones' office says the city finally removed the couple due to their tent expanding even further and becoming a hazard to the public. The spokesperson added the couple is receiving services but for privacy reasons could not say where they were being housed.
The removal of the homeless couple raises questions of the status of the lawsuit the two homeowners filed. Schock says the question still remains whether or not his client will continue on with their litigation, but they do have options.
"One option is to drop the suit, forget it we got what we needed and they are out of there," said Schock. "Another option is 'well maybe these clients want to pursue this a little further' and have the courts decide if the clients are entitled money from the city."