100-year-old woman evicted from SF home – SFGate

100-year-old woman evicted from SF home – SFGate

  • Iris Canada listens in during a news conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Supporters of Canada, a 99-year-old woman who faces eviction from her Western Addition apartment, rallied and held a news conference outside the Superior Court of California. Canada has lived in her apartment for decades. Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle

Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle

Iris Canada listens in during a news conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Supporters of Canada, a 99-year-old woman who faces eviction from her Western Addition apartment, rallied and … more

After months of court battles and appeals, a 100-year-old woman was evicted Friday from her home in San Francisco’s Western Addition.

San Francisco Sheriff Vicki Hennessy had what might be the final eviction notice delivered to Iris Canada’s home on the 600 block of Page Street — after a lengthy battle with her landlord, who said she violated her “life estate” agreement by not living there full time. A judge agreed last year that Canada had not been permanently residing in the building.

Canada was not in the building when the notice was posted, and her lawyer said neither he nor Canada’s family has broken the news to her.

“Right now, I’m really trying not to let Iris know this because I’m truly afraid of the result,” said Dennis Zaragoza, Canada’s lawyer, citing her deteriorating health. “I’m trying to file an appeal (Friday) afternoon.”

The six-unit building’s owners are trying to convert from a tenants-in-common structure to condominium status, but they need Canada’s signature to do so. Canada and her attorney have refused to sign, saying it would remove her legal claim to her apartment.

The life estate agreement allowed Canada to remain in her apartment at a fixed rate of $700 a month for life.

Canada has kept up with her rent payments, but the building owners say she has not been living at the unit and is instead living in Oakland with her niece. The niece, Iris Merriouns, said that is false.

Canada’s battle ended Wednesday when Judge A. James Robertson of San Francisco Superior Court ruled that an eviction should take place by April 13.

In March, Robertson ruled that “Canada has failed to permanently reside at the premises as the sole and only occupant.”

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani

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