‘I can’t promise your safety:’ El Paso homeowner struggles to save historic house

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- What Megan Harris thought would be a dream fixer-upper in Downtown El Paso became what she calls a “house of horrors.”

“I can’t promise your safety,” Harris warned visitors before stepping inside the historic home. “You’re going to have to enter at your own risk. It’s always an event.”

Harris, through her LLC Catalyst Home Design and Construction, bought the property about a year ago, hoping to restore the 19th-century house. Since then, she said, the home has been plagued by vandalism, squatting and repeated safety threats.

“We have a lot of vandalism in here,” she said. “We have people that will squat the property. As you can see all around, there’s just trash thrown all over the place.”

Inside and around the home, trash is scattered throughout -- including human waste.

“Just be careful where you’re walking,” Harris said while touring the property. “They just go to the bathroom anywhere.”

In the backyard, discarded cups, plates and debris blanket the ground. But Harris said the trash is only part of the problem.

About a week before ABC-7 visited the home, Harris posted a video to social media describing what she said has been ongoing harassment and threats.

“Most of the time, I can only get on here because I’m being chased by somebody telling me they’re going to kill me because they’re on drugs,” Harris said in the video. “This is what my property has come to.”

Following that post, Harris received some help. A local pastor and volunteers assisted with hauling away trash, and the El Paso Police Department helped remove mattresses and debris from the property. Code enforcement also conducted a cleanup, loading multiple truckloads of trash.

Despite that assistance, Harris said she needs more help from the city.

“I would like the city to come and clean up the trash,” she said. “I would like them to figure out a solution on how they’re going to solve this problem.”

City officials said their ability to intervene is limited. Steve Alvarado, director of El Paso’s Code Enforcement Department, said cleanup on private property is generally the owner’s responsibility.

“Sometimes in situations like this, the city will do a courtesy cleanup just to help out the homeowner,” Alvarado said.

He said the city could take further action if the situation qualifies as illegal dumping typically involving large amounts of trash dumped at one time but that requires suspect information such as vehicle descriptions or license plates.

“That’s a little tricky,” Alvarado said.

Harris said most of the activity on her property involves homeless individuals rather than illegal dumpers. She filed multiple police reports, which ABC-7 obtained through an open records request. The reports include criminal trespassing and burglary offenses.

Harris said some encounters have been life-threatening.

“A lot of times they let them out the next day, and then they’re right back here,” she said. “The guy who kept trying to kill me would just come right back to threaten us.”

Because of that, Harris announces herself loudly every time she enters the home.

“If you don’t, you surprise them,” she said. “It could be a dangerous situation.”

While walking through the house, Harris pointed out areas where people had recently been sleeping. Upstairs, she noticed new items on the staircase.

“Someone’s been in here,” she said. “They climb up the roof to get in. Somebody just urinated in the bathroom.”

As the tour continued, an El Paso police officer arrived to check the property after noticing an open door. Harris thanked the officer, saying frequent police visits have led to close relationships with some officers.

“They’ve become like family,” she said.

Harris estimates she has spent thousands of dollars each month maintaining the property, on top of her initial investment.

“They cost so much every single month just to have this house,” she said. “The problems I have to deal with it’s insane.”

Still, Harris said she struggled with the idea of giving up. The house, built in 1870, remained in the same family for generations until she purchased it. She promised the family she would restore it.

“You’re going to be so proud of it,” she said she told them. “Once I finish it, we’re going to break bread.”

Now, Harris said she’s nearing a breaking point.

“I’m almost tempted to just throw my cards and let go,” she said. “Let somebody else come and do whatever they’re going to do.”

For now, Harris plans to sell the home.