Tenants press Detroit council as law department details Leland House retrieval plan and bankruptcy timeline

Detroit City Council members heard pleas Tuesday from Leland House residents and tenant advocates as city lawyers outlined a court-approved, phased plan for tenants to retrieve belongings and described remaining legal uncertainty.

The law department told council that on April 3 a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge entered an order approving “tenant property removal procedures.” Under the schedule described by law department counsel Jason Harrison, tenants who register will be allowed into the building during limited, supervised windows beginning May 4 and continuing for roughly a 21-day period, with packing and storage steps sequenced to protect safety and property. Tenants will be allowed two people to accompany them to pack small items; a commercial pack-out contractor and a General Services Department removal plan then will move larger items to temporary storage pending relocation arrangements.

Tenants, the Detroit Tenants Union and others urged the council to make a firm commitment that the city would push the retrieval plan forward “regardless of what happens with the bankruptcy court.” Steven Rimmer of the Detroit Tenants Union said that in recent negotiations he was told by corporation counsel that “if this case doesn't go through the plan is done,” a comment he delivered to the council as…