An elderly Ladera Heights woman is facing eviction after her landlord told her that he must make room for his daughter, according to an eviction letter Thelma Smith received just a couple of months ago.
As reported by the LA Times, Smith was given the notice on March 8 with a final move out date of June 30. The month-to-month leaseholder has been living in her rent-stabilized single-family home for nearly 30 years. Smith’s landlords are ending their agreement because their daughter is graduating from law school and needs a place to live.
The move, according to Los Angeles’ Rent Stabilization Ordinance is completely legal. Landlords are allowed to evict a tenant in order to make room for a family member. According to a CBS local affiliate, friends and family of Smith are now banding together to help her find a new place to live.
Neighbor Pauline Cooper told the LA Times, “I’m trying to get her settled.”
According to reports, much of Smith’s family has passed away, including her husband. The family that she does have left lives on the East Coast.
“The only thing I can say is that I’ve tried to live a good life,” Smith, a former executive secretary for the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation, told CBS. “I’ve never wanted to harm anybody.”
