UPDATE:  The CDC eviction moratorium has ended.  Read The Eviction Lab's FAQ to learn more.

Sherry S

Hartman, AR
August 28th, 2022|

My name is Sherry Shelton, mother, grandmother and newly widowed wife of 43 years. My husband suffered 2 heart attacks, the first in December on Christmas Eve, the second soon after he was released from St Edwards Hospital with pneumonia that was not detected by the hospital. He was taken to Washington regional where they were able to put stints in and he seemed to be getting better when he started feeling weak and began to shake often. He passed away suddenly on April 19, 2022.

His death left me without income but my children were pulling together to make sure my rent was paid. In June only 2 months after I lost my husband my Landlord asked to borrow my oxygen machine because she had rescued an armadillo and wanted to try to nurse it back to health. Of course I agreed for fear that she would evict me if I didn’t. After 5 days without my oxygen which I am supposed to be on 24/7 my daughter respectfully requested my machine be returned since I wasn’t feeling well and I am oxygen dependent. That is when my landlord said sure she would return it but that I would need to be out by the 3rd of the month.

Of course I agreed to be out in an attempt to avoid an official eviction on my record since I would have to seek public housing after being forced out of my home. My rent was always paid on time except $100 was paid a week after the due date the month following my husbands death. The landlord stated that she wanted me out to move her sick mother in law in but when I spoke with her for the last time she jubilantly stated that she would be glad to have her brother move in so that when something needed fixed she could tell him to shut up and go to the hardware store so that she didn’t have to worry about repairs.

The septic tank backed up into the house more than once after complaining multiple times I had to pay to have it pumped myself and the only attempt that was made to repair the damage from those incidents was new laminate being installed poorly in place of the carpet in the living room only. The walls were moldy under the sinks were mold damaged the carpets in the other 2 rooms the water heater was in disrepair and a fire hazard the only repairs done to the water heater were done by my husband and I after they continuously put it off. I just don’t understand how someone could have the heart to do something like this to someone who just lost their husband and who is disabled and oxygen dependent in the middle of the deadly July heat.

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