79-year-old nurse fears going to jail over yard dispute
Former nurse says arthritis and tremors prevent her from maintaining property
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio (WEWS)— A 79-year-old woman is facing charges for failing to maintain her property and trim trees.
Beverly Thomas is a former nurse who said arthritis and tremors are making it impossible to keep up with her yard. The woman was in court recently for misdemeanor offenses and didn’t dispute the allegations against her.
For 33 years, Thomas worked as a nurse.
“I paid my taxes all of these years. I haven’t broken any laws. And they’re calling this a crime,” Thomas said.
Thomas was summoned to court last week for the misdemeanor offenses.
“I wasn’t nervous at first but the more I thought about it... I was sleeping OK at night but then I went to court and heard I could be put in jail over it, making it sound like a crime, then I got nervous and had trouble sleeping at night,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she can’t keep up with her yard like she used to because of her arthritis and tremors. She uses a walker to get around.
“So I’m not disputing that the bushes need trimmed and the trees need trimmed,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she can’t physically do the work anymore and on a fixed income can’t afford to hire anyone. She said she tried calling social services but couldn’t find help.
“I just don’t want to be in jail,” Thomas said.
The city of Willoughby provided a statement Monday afternoon saying in part, “While we can’t comment directly on any cases currently in litigation, we can provide general information regarding the city’s property maintenance enforcement process. When a potential violation is identified, an inspection is performed from the public right-of-way to determine if a violation exists. If a violation is found, a notice is sent to the owner of record.”
The statement said, “The City’s goal is always voluntary compliance, and legal action is generally the last step after attempts have been made to resolve the issue. If compliance is achieved prior to any scheduled trial, the City will dismiss the charges.”
Thomas said she did get previous letters but took care of the problem.
Thomas is due back in Willoughby Municipal Court next month for a pretrial hearing.
“They cannot tell you what old age is going to be like. You have to wait until you get there and surprise,” Thomas said.
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