City of Houston forces single mother to close small business and sole source of income after 12 years

City of Houston tells Tammy Fleming, single mother, community leader and local small business owner of Trendz by Tammy hair salon, to get a commercial certificate of occupancy license, shut down her business immediately, or pay huge fines.

Her property at 6915 Scott Street in Houston, TX. (a 40 year old building) became her primary residence. She reserved a small portion of the building for a hair salon. Tammy has lives, plays, patronizes, and runs her small business out of her home in the Foster Place community for 12 years. But sudenly, the City of Houston permit division tells her to get a 2013 standard commercial certificate of occupancy license, shut down her small business or suffer the consequences in form of huge fines. Tammy has asked over and over, “why can’t I be grandfathered in after 12 years of paying business taxes and providing a service for this community?” Inspector Gardner practically ignored her as he wrote a book of lies about major, electrical plumbing and foundation work that had to be done. So ridiculous, it even made City of Houston electrical inspector Chris Silva cringe. Mr. Silva has personal knowledge of this business in the community for a long time.

All these problems began in August, 2011. Just a week after Tammy asked a disgruntled salon client and City of Houston employee not to return to the salon anymore as the individual became a source of mess and gossip. Tammy was allowed by the City of Houston to renew her sign permit for $80 the day before she was told to get out. She has been paying separate business taxes on the property for Trendz by Tammy Hair Salon since 2001.  Tammy is a community leader and her son has consistently been on the honor roll of local community schools Foster Elementary and Cullen Middle School. Now, Tammy has been told by the City of Houston to get her 1960 building up to city’s 2013 standards to obtain a commercial certificate of occupancy, pay a large fine or close the doors of her small business hair salon forever.  Tammy plead for to her local community councilman Boris Miles, whose personal home is walking distance from Tammy’s local small business, other politicians and the community to stop these vigil anti City of Houston employee who deem themselves the judge and jury of the single mothers livelihood.