AN elderly couple plagued by cancer and injuries from horror falls is desperately trying to find another apartment before they’re evicted.
Bob Stange, 85, and his wife, Cindy Anne Packard-Stange, 65, resided in their Vermont residence for 17 years until their new landlord decided to increase their rent by 100%.
They were already looking for a new place without stairs, but they couldn’t find any one-story units within their budget.
Despite attending more than 200 property showings in the White River Junction region, situated about an hour northwest of Concord, New Hampshire, they have not been able to secure a new place, leaving them filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
“Nobody would touch us with a 10-foot pole,” Cindy Anne told VT Digger.
For the past decade, the Stanges haven’t signed a new lease and were paying a reasonable $800 in rent.
However, in March, their building was bought by Amy Voorhees, who hiked the rent to $1,7000, effective on March 15.
Because they weren’t under a lease contract, Voorhees had the right to evict them without cause.
When they couldn’t sign the agreement, she asked them to leave the home in just two weeks.
To address this situation, the couple has enlisted the help of a legal representative and is currently engaged in a legal battle to delay any potential eviction until they can find a more suitable and affordable living arrangement. As long as the legal proceedings are ongoing, they are protected from being forced to leave their current home.
Bob was working as a custodian when he took a terrible fall on their apartment stairs in October.
He’s still in the hospital, suffering from internal bleeding and pneumonia as he fights skin, blood, and bladder cancer.
Rachel Batterson, who is representing the couple pro bono, fears that their health battles and landlord dispute have made it difficult for them to find another home.
“In this market, it’s very hard to get in the door when you have ongoing litigation,” Batterson, who works with Vermont Legal Aid, said.
“It’s not unusual for landlords to refuse to rent to a tenant even if there’s an eviction and they won.”
Batterson is arguing that the Stanges have been discriminated against because of their age and health.
How can your home be sold without your consent?
Your home can be sold from under you for various reasons – here are three key things to look out for:
Tax Sale
- A tax sale is the sale of property by a governmental entity to recover unpaid taxes by the owner who has reached a certain point of delinquency in their owed payments.
- Before a tax sale takes place, there is a right-of-redemption period where the owner can pay off their debt and reclaim their home.
- Each state has different laws surrounding tax sales but in most areas, the basic requirement is that adequate notice is given to the owner to pay the outstanding money, and any sale must be open to the public.
Foreclosure
- Foreclosures can take place when lenders take control of a property after borrowers have failed to make their repayments.
- Borrowers will receive a Notice of Default, triggering the foreclosure process.
- Homeowners in HOA communities can also see their homes foreclosed by their HOA for falling behind on fees.
- This means that even if you keep up with mortgage repayments, you could still lose your home if your HOA has a lien on your property.
- When such a foreclosure takes place, the sale price only needs to be enough to cover the HOA debt meaning that properties can be sold for much less than they are worth.
Property Fraud
- Criminals can use a fake or stolen ID to impersonate a homeowner in order to sell or mortgage homes.
- Typical targets for property fraud include absent owners like landlords, owners who live abroad, and sole owners of unmortgaged homes.
- The U.S. Sun previously reported on a man whose vacation home worth $300,000 was sold by criminals for just $9,000 – they even had the deed to the property.
Cindy Anne has also taken a terrifying fall in the apartment, and she fears landlords view them as a liability.
Voorhees, who is being represented by family lawyer Todd Steadman, has yet to give any public comment about the drama.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Steadman for any updates on the court battle.
If Voorhees is able to prove her case, the judge may order the Stanges to vacate the property in one to two weeks.
For now, the couple is working with a homeless shelter to have beds ready in case they still don’t have a new home.
Though the future looks grim, Cindy Anne hopes her story can be a reminder that elderly tenants still deserve respect.
“Me and Bob feel so bad about being old,” she said.
“That is one of the reasons why I’m going through with this, because I want people to know how hurtful this is, that you can be treated in a way that makes you feel like nobody wants you.”
