Unsafe Conditions Halts Evicted 101-Year-Old Woman’s Return Home
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John T. Greilick/Detroit News/AP Photo
After reversing its foreclosure upon the Detroit home of a 101-year-old Texana Hollis, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has again moved to evict her due to the home’s unsafe conditions, ABC News Detroit affiliate WXYZ reported.
Community outcry prompted HUD last September to reverse its eviction of Hollis whose belongings the federal agency had removed from the home and placed on the sidewalk and in the home’s front yard.
HUD said Hollis, whose husband of 60 years bought her the home before he died, could move back in, and that the agency would oversee its needed renovation. HUD now says the home is not repairable.
“I want my house, what my husband worked so hard for. He worked two jobs to get me that house,” a tearful, wheelchair-bound Hollis told WXYZ.
In that home, she and her husband reared 10 children. Her son’s failure to pay back taxes on the property prompted last year’s eviction.
To help Hollis stay in her home this time around, the community has stepped up by setting up a fund to assist the displaced woman. Comedian Tyler Perry also called Hollis to offer assistance, a friend told the Detroit Free Press.
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This is a truely screwed up society when we can’t even let an old woman stay in her home and have a little peace before she dies………
Posted by: beaches24 | January 28, 2012, 11:18 am 11:18 am
Well, to be honest, it wasn’t “society” that caused this problem. It was her son — you know, the one that didn’t pay the taxes on the property and let it get in such a sad state of disrepair that it couldn’t be made habitable again.
Posted by: Joyce | January 28, 2012, 11:28 am 11:28 am
Why can’t she live with one of her 10 children or a grandchild,whoever is still alive? Why live where it is not safe? Hope she lives longer.
Posted by: sue wo | January 28, 2012, 11:33 am 11:33 am
I think it terrible this lady has to pay “rent” to the government….i.e. taxes. We can never own our home. We will owe the government as long as we live.
Posted by: Lively | January 28, 2012, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
Someone Help her fix her house please…Have a Heart..She truely needs it…God Bless America and This Sweet Women…Let her live free ..we will never own nothing in this life the goverment ownS us…taxes taxes taxes……May she live a long life and a healthy life…..OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP PRAY FOR US……
Posted by: AmA | January 28, 2012, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
Heartless bureaucrats.
Posted by: velvers | January 28, 2012, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
ya, if you dont pay your taxes you will lose your house. nobody gets upset when it happens all the time to other people and nobody cares or helps them. it had to a be a very large amount of taxes for them to take the house, and if she cant keep a house together so that its safe she probably shouldnt be living on her own right? she had it coming, let her live with the dead beat son who caused this.
Posted by: 605pete | January 31, 2012, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
I’m sure the house IS repairable. But it’s likely that it would cost more to repair than what the house is worth, given the depressed conditions of housing prices in the area that she lives. There must be dozens of homes in the area that are in the same boat, but HUD isn’t inspecting them because they didn’t get involved. Leave the woman be in her house. She’s 101 years old, and as long as they can hook up some plumbing (toilet, shower, sink), a little bit of electricty, and a little bit of heat, it should be hers to live in as long as possible. Talk about being too fussy. I’m sure tons of people in Haiti and other third world countries would gladly inhabit such a home.
Posted by: Beth | February 5, 2012, 7:54 pm 7:54 pm