Evicted 83-year-old woman set to move next week

An 83-year-old woman who has been evicted from her apartment at a senior-living complex that is getting rid of all its federally subsidized tenants has found a new place to live but can’t move until next week.

Dorothy Morris was supposed to be out of her place at the Sacramento Manor senior-living complex by 5 p.m. Friday. Her request for a four-day stay of the eviction was rejected by Sacramento Manor, her attorney said.

“This type of stuff goes on way too much, and something’s got to be done,” said Sacramento lawyer Christopher J. Fry, who is representing Morris on a pro bono basis. “We just couldn’t sit and watch this happen.”

On Friday, Fry filed a notice of intention to move for a new trial on behalf of Morris, who failed in court last month to prevent the 260-unit south area complex from moving her out. The lawyer said he expects that Sacramento Manor will obtain a writ next week to have the Sheriff’s Department serve Morris with a five-day notice to vacate, but that she in all likelihood will be out of her apartment by Tuesday.

Morris said Friday that she was told by a legal-aid attorney that the Sacramento County sheriff must post an eviction notice on her door five days before removing her. She said no such notice had been posted on her door as of Friday.

Morris said she is moving to a “very nice” apartment close to Sacramento Manor.

Fry said there has been an outpouring of help, including apartment offers and money, for Morris.

Tenants Together and other renters’ advocacy groups staged a late December protest at Sacramento Manor to support Morris and oppose the eviction of Section 8 tenants.

No one answered the phone Friday for a response at Sacramento Manor, and Walnut Creek attorney Allison K. Wopschall, who represented the company at the Dec. 17 eviction proceeding in Sacramento Superior Court, failed to return a phone call or answer an email.

Sacramento Manor said it evicted Morris as part of its effort to no longer take residents with Section 8 housing vouchers.

Fry said that besides challenging the judgment entered by Judge Christopher E. Krueger, he also intends to file a civil lawsuit against Sacramento Manor on Morris’ behalf.

This story was originally published January 2, 2015 at 3:53 PM with the headline "Evicted 83-year-old woman set to move next week."