AN 81-year-old mother has been forced to sleep inside her car parked in the driveway for four years despite owning a home.
Christine Marshall was abruptly ousted from her Tennessee property when tragedy struck, and she can’t get back in.
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The mom said that a storm blew through years ago and damaged her home, making it unsafe to stay inside.
Now, her Memphis house has fallen into even more disrepair, with the roof recently collapsing under the harsh elements.
Marshall’s son Antoine Hardin has issued an urgent cry for help as he worries for his mom’s health in the dangerous summer heat.
He’s convinced her to stay with him a few nights, but she prefers to sleep in her car in the driveway so she can watch her property, he told NBC affiliate WMC.
“All of this [is] the aftermath when the storms came […] the wind came right around here and tore everything down,” he said of the home.
“I don’t know what to do, but ask the community to help.”
Marshall’s predicament was first uncovered by concerned neighbors who grew worried after seeing her sleeping in her car.
Locals have shared their prayers online and hope that Marshall can find a quick solution.
“Lord somebody help her,” wrote one person on Facebook.
Another person said, “This is so sad sleeping in your car is very dangerous especially in Memphis.”
A GoFundMe started by someone sharing the son’s name is asking for donations to help restructure Marshall’s home.
In the description, the organizer said that the elderly woman’s home insurance company went out of business, so she has to pay cash for repairs.
Marshall is also battling cancer and has been forced to use a feeding tube because of her throat swelling, the description reads.
“The pain that I see going through her eyes everyday is eating at my soul because I can’t help her the way I want to,” the GoFundMe says.
“So that is why I’m asking the community to help my mother rebuild her roof and inside of her home.”
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HOME DRAMA
The house drama comes as some tenants are being kicked out of their homes despite never missing rent payments.
One renter in Ohio was astounded when she got an eviction notice, as she had bank statements documenting all her bills.
Another woman was stunned when she came home to see an eviction notice slapped on her door.
That’s because she had purchased the property in 2020 and had paid cash for it with the help of her family.
Plus, a single mom was hit with a five day eviction notice right before Christmas.
How common is eviction in the US?
Millions of households receive an eviction notice each year.
The Eviction Lab at Princeton University estimated that per 100 renting households, about 7.8 evictions were filed each year.
The Eviction Lab tracks filings across 10 states and 36 cities.
In a typical year, landlords file about 3.6 million eviction cases.
Source: The Eviction Lab
