A few things make sense in America, including illegal evictions. Despite binding leases, some landlords still don’t honor the legal system. In Memphis, Tennessee, an 83-year-old woman is the most recent victim of the lawlessness that makes people homeless. In a video posted by @TheEvictionAngels, the story of this woman is told in heartbreaking detail.
“This is an atrocity that just happened in Memphis, Tennessee,” one of The Eviction Angels says in the video. In the background, you can see the place of eviction. Scattered around them are pieces of furniture and various belongings, clearly having been tossed out of a residence. “They illegally evicted this older woman, who’s 83 years old, named Martha Williams,” she continues.
After passing the camera to her sister, The Eviction Angels continue to explain Williams’s situation. The spouse of a veteran who meets the conditions of being over 65, has no income requirement, and/or is disabled is exempt from paying property tax under Tennessee state law. Even more concerning is that Williams had been paying property taxes and may even have been overpaying. “If anything, the county actually owes Miss Martha money,” they say in the video.
With the help of The Eviction Angels, the eviction was successfully stopped through a court order. Sadly, it was not stopped before some of her things were stolen from where they sat on the front lawn. At the time of eviction, there was no sheriff present, as required by law. Instead, it was done by a private processing company. The Eviction Angels explained at the end of the video that people of color are being targeted, with many tenants being gentrified.
“Stop the illegal evictions. Stop putting people out of their homes. The state is taking over people’s homes just so they can flip houses and gentrify.”
