Tenants in Plano fight back against unexpected meal fee: “This is wrong”

PLANO- After making national headlines because of a serial killer, a Plano apartment complex is once again in the spotlight. This time, tenants claim the management is breaking the law in the name of a “free” meal.

Preston Place is a quiet retirement community with a troubled past. In 2017 and 2018, it was the scene of a series of murders involving at least seven victims.

That nightmare is over. Several tenants moved in hoping for a fresh start, but say rising prices are making it difficult for them to stay.

“They’ve raised my rent by $250 in the last two years,” Charlie Connell said.

Melissa Jackson added, “I had already heard that they were going to raise the rent by 8%” when her lease expires.

Marcia Davis says she had already taken on several odd jobs to pay her rent when management announced another new fee. According to a letter, Preston Place implemented a $30 monthly service fee. That included one free meal per month at the on-site restaurant, which some tenants say is struggling to survive.

“They're penalizing us because other people aren't using the facility,” Connell said. “That's wrong!”

“Why should we pay $30 for a meal if we can’t afford to eat there anyway?” Jackson asked.

According to the Texas State Law Library, “a lease cannot be modified during the term unless both parties agree to it.” This includes new “additional fees.”

“You can't arbitrarily change the lease,” Connell said. “What if the next time they say, 'Well, it's $100?'”

CBS News Texas checked with a lawyer specializing in tenant rights who questioned the legality of charging the service fee.

A day after we contacted Preston Place management, Executive Director Kolin Sherman said he would send another letter to inform residents that he had changed his mind and decided against implementing the new fee.