Greedy landlord evicts 97-year-old cancer patient to sell home for $1.2 million

'I don't know where I'm going to go. What I'm going to do.'

In a story worthy of its own tragedy, ninety-seven-year-old Marie Hatch has fallen prey to time, illness and greed.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Hatch moved into her home 66 years ago and claims the original landlord, her friend Vivian Kruse, engaged in a verbal agreement to allow Hatch to remain there for as long as she lived.

When Kruse died, her daughter and granddaughter agreed to uphold the promise.

Unfortunately, Hatch outlived each of the women when Kruse's granddaughter passed away in 2006, leaving control of the property to her husband David Kantz.

When Kantz realized the monthly rent of $900 was nothing compared to the $1.2 million he could get by selling, he decided to evict the 97-year old woman, who suffers from cancer. 

Kantz drew up the papers and announced Hatch and her 58-year-old roommate, Georgia Rothrock, had until March 12 to vacate the property.
Hatch admitted to CBS San Francisco that she didn't have anywhere else to go.

"He's greedy!" Hatch stated. "Why does he have to do it this way? Who told him he has to do it this way?"

Rothrock added, "It's very harsh and very unexpected."

When asked where they would go, Katch explained, "I haven't the slightest idea. I don't know where I'm going to go. What I'm going to do. I really don't. Keeps me awake at night."

Rothrock simply stated, "I'll be out on the bus stop bench surrounded by my boxes of my beloved books. And that's all I can forsee."

Kantz claimed he felt bad about evicting the women, but the property was inherited when his wife was murdered by her new boyfriend while in the middle of their divorce.

He said he was duty-bound to sell the property before the trust she left for their sons expired.

"I didn't want to say, 'We're going to just throw you out,' but I thought I would give her plenty of notice," Kantz said. He claims he even offered to help them move out. 

"There is no one part of this whole thing I don't feel bad about. I feel bad for the elderly lady, I feel bad for my sons, I feel bad for me."

Hatch, on the other hand, feels no sympathy for Kantz at all.

"He has no choice?" She asked. "Huh. I don't believe that."

Both Hatch and Rothrock decided to fight Kantz' decision in court. There are no updates currently available in their case.

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