A Houston couple living in a Fifth Ward home they do not legally own is fighting to remain there, even as the City of Houston says the structure is unsafe and should be demolished.
The dispute centers on a house along Lyons Avenue, where Arthur and Koffey Smith moved in nearly three years ago. The couple claims they are in the process of gaining ownership through adverse possession and have filed a lawsuit against the city to stop demolition efforts.
The Smiths say they moved into the home in February 2023 because they needed a place to live. Since then, they have filed court documents asserting adverse possession, a legal process by which someone can acquire ownership of abandoned property under certain conditions…