Nationwide — Gloria Gaynor, a 91-year-old African American grandmother from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, is facing possible eviction after her longtime home was sold over an unpaid property tax bill. The new owners have warned they may involve police if she does not leave the house.
Gaynor has lived in her home for about 25 years. Her family said they were shocked to learn last month that the property had been sold and that eviction could soon follow.
“She’s in a hospital bed. Are they going to lift the bed up with her in it and take her and put her on the steps?” her daughter, Jackie Davis, told ABC Action News.
The issue traces back to 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaynor stayed inside her home to avoid the virus and missed paying her property taxes that year. Her attorneys said she had the money and resumed paying in 2021, but the missed payment from 2020 was never settled.
Because the balance remained unpaid, the county placed a tax lien on the home. In September 2022, the $3,500 tax debt was sold at a tax sale for more than $14,000 to CJD Legal Group. Under Pennsylvania law, purchasing the tax debt also transfers ownership of the property.
Gaynor’s legal team challenged the sale in court but lost. Court records show the home was appraised at about $250,000 earlier this year.
Now, Davis is trying to figure out what comes next. “I just need to come up with a plan to be able to take her to a home with me. That is my solution,” she said. Davis added that her mother has dementia and would struggle in an assisted living facility.
Public records show CJD Legal Group has purchased dozens of tax-defaulted properties in Delaware County. The company did not respond to requests for comment. County officials said eviction can only move forward with court approval and confirmed that no writ has been filed so far.