ST. LOUIS – A jury awarded two Tower Grove South homeowners $36,000 in their lawsuit against the city over a sidewalk encampment outside their home for 44 months.
Homeowners Steve McClanahan and Richard Baumhoff sought $66,000 in lost rent. The city’s attorney declined to comment on the ruling.
McClanahan and Baumhoff said a Sudanese refugee couple constructed a shelter of tarps, blankets, and plastic bags along their property at the corner of South Spring Avenue and Chippewa Street. The man and woman had lived in their makeshift tent from September 2020 to April 2024, more than 1,300 days.
Former Lindbergh School District teacher and coach charged with child sex crimes
The couple had gone through the refugee settlement process more than 12 years ago, according to the International Institute of St. Louis, and have been squatting in the area ever since. Both city officials and the International Institute said the couple has long refused offers of social services, including housing…