Heartless Tennessee Landlord Illegally Evicts 83-Year-Old Widow, Tosses Her Belongings Into the Street: “Stop the Illegal Evictions!”
MEMPHIS, TN — Outrage is spreading across Tennessee after a landlord illegally evicted an 83-year-old woman from her home and tossed all her belongings into the street — an act activists are calling “a blatant violation of state law.”
“This Is an Atrocity That Just Happened in Memphis”
Video posted by @TheEvictionAngels shows furniture, clothes, and personal items strewn across a Memphis sidewalk while activists explain what happened to Martha Williams, the elderly tenant at the center of the eviction.
“This is an atrocity that just happened in Memphis, Tennessee,” one activist says in the video. “They illegally evicted this older woman — 83 years old — named Martha Williams.”
The heartbreaking footage shows Williams standing in disbelief as strangers help her recover her belongings.
@wflegalservices HEARING IS TODAY: 83 year old woman was ILLEGALLY evicted from her home by a private processing company in Memphis TN. Court orders stopped it but her materials were stolen (eye witnesses). STOP THIS, SPRRAD THE NEWS SPREAD THE WORD STOP PRIVATE PROCESSES.
A Widow Protected by State Law — Still Evicted
According to The Eviction Angels, Williams is the spouse of a veteran and meets multiple conditions that should have legally protected her home from seizure.
Under Tennessee state law, residents over 65 — particularly disabled individuals and surviving spouses of veterans — are exempt from paying property tax if they meet specific criteria.
Even more shocking, activists say Williams may have been overpaying her taxes for years.
“If anything, the county actually owes Miss Martha money,” one activist said.
Eviction Without a Sheriff or Court Order
The Eviction Angels allege that the eviction was carried out without a sheriff’s presence, a direct violation of Tennessee law.
Instead, a private processing company reportedly handled the eviction, throwing Williams’s furniture and family possessions onto the front lawn.
Activists eventually succeeded in getting the eviction temporarily halted through a court order, but the damage was already done — some of Williams’s belongings were stolen from the street before she could recover them.
Community Outrage and Call to Action
Memphis residents and housing advocates are furious, calling this case a symptom of Tennessee’s growing housing crisis and targeted displacement of older Black residents.
“Stop the illegal evictions. Stop putting people out of their homes,” one activist demanded.
“The state is taking over people’s homes just so they can flip houses and gentrify.”
The Eviction Angels, a local nonprofit that intervenes in wrongful evictions, have vowed to continue fighting for Williams and others like her.
A Larger Problem in Memphis
Illegal evictions have surged across Shelby County, where local housing groups say gentrification and lax enforcement allow landlords to exploit elderly or low-income tenants.
Williams’s story has since gone viral on social media, prompting widespread outrage and renewed pressure for stronger tenant protections in the state.
Do you think landlords should face jail time for illegal evictions like this one? Share your thoughts in the comments on FatCityFeed.com.
