96-Year-Old Faces Eviction, Given 3-Day Notice in California Despite ‘Lifetime Care’ Contract

A 96-year-old woman is standing up to a senior living housing project that is attempting to evict her from the unit she has called home for the past 22 years.

Decades ago, she entered into an agreement with Pacific Grove Senior Living in Pacific Grove, California, allowing her to reside in the complex until her passing, as reported by KSBW.

However, on August 16th, the complex manager issued a threatening letter to Jean Jacques, demanding payment of an amount determined by the complex within three days or face eviction, as detailed by Monterey Now.

“I’d be on the street. I wouldn’t even have a tent,” Jacques said. “I’d be in a bad way.”

The letter claimed she owed almost $110,000, according to KSBW.

“I’m not going. They’ll have to bury me because I have no place to go,” Jacques said. “They have all my money.”

Jacques arranged for her to negotiate with California-Nevada Methodist Homes, which subsequently sold the complex to Pacifica Senior Living in 2022.

SENIOR LIVING EVICITON | As Jean Jacques celebrated her 96th birthday in July, she never considered that just one month later, she would be advocating for the roof over her head.https://t.co/w8pE4MYENK pic.twitter.com/OGK6pXdL50

— KSBW Action News 8 (@ksbw) August 27, 2024

Current contracts were allowed to continue, but the policies of the previous owner were not.

According to Bob Sadler, president of the Residents’ Association at Pacific Grove Senior Living, lifetime care contracts were guaranteed under the former owner, even if residents outlived their savings.

The facility offset losses from long-living residents with gains from those who passed away before using up their savings.

The eviction notice is being questioned by Elizabeth Campos, ombudsman project manager at the Alliance for Aging.

She noted that the notice lacked necessary approvals and did not provide information on how it could be appealed.

“You do get angry knowing that it’s an elderly person,” Campos said. “Where is this person going to go?”

“She’s devoted all of her savings and money to this place,” Sadler said. “I don’t care what the legal ramifications are here. This is morally unthinkable.”

The complex has remained unresponsive to media inquiries, and Jacques has not received any communication from them since the delivery of the eviction notice.

According to Patricia McGinnis, founder of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, the notice does not comply with the rules. This was reported by Monterey Now.

“To do that to a 96-year-old woman … they should be ashamed of themselves,” McGinnis said.

Jacques stated that she intends to defy the notice, while her allies work to fight for her legally.

“They’ll have to drag me out of here screaming and hollering,” she said.