[Puffer Fish]

A heartbreaking incident, 93 year old Juanita Fitzgerald was arrested in Florida after refusing to leave her care home following an eviction notice. Fitzgerald, a resident of Franklin House, a housing community run by National Church Residences, had lived there since 2011. Reports suggest that she stopped paying rent because she believed she wouldn't live much longer. However, Fitzgerald claims that the facility refused to accept her payment.

National Church Residences stated that Fitzgerald had complained about mold in her apartment. Though tests reportedly found none.

Despite numerous efforts by authorities and social services to assist her, including reaching out to family in Tennessee, Fitzgerald declined all offers of help. (Of course, what type of "help" was that, exactly?)

When authorities attempted to enforce the eviction, the elderly woman resisted, saying "Unless you carry me out of here, I'm not going anywhere."

Fitzgerald, who appears to have no immediate support system, was taken to jail, where she gave an emotional interview, stating "I don't need no help. I've got all the help I need."

"I don't have anybody. My family's in Tennessee. Everything I got's gone." (breaking down crying)

TikTok video


The way the narration of the video reads, it almost makes it sound like it is this woman's own fault, that she was being unreasonable. But I suspect all that is mostly information coming from the care home.

Perhaps the woman complained about a mold issue and the care home knew it would be an expensive issue to remediate. So instead one of the managers believed it would just be easier to have her gone.
Most states have laws that require property owners to keep the apartments they are renting out maintained and up to certain standards, including addressing mold issues.

The story notes that she "refused help", but what type of "help" was offered or promised to her exactly? I suspect that did not include any permanent housing options that were guaranteed and which she could rely on. And taking that "help", at that moment, probably was contingent upon her giving up her claim to her apartment and leaving. It seems understandable why she may not have wanted to take up any of the offers made to her in that moment.
She believed she was being wrongly, possibly illegally, and unfairly evicted from her home.


more details:

Juanita Fitzgerald, a 93-year-old woman, living in the care home of National Church Residences in Lake County, Florida, was arrested on Tuesday (December 12th) and spent two nights in jail before her 94th birthday on Friday.

The old woman, who was interviewed in the jail with handcuffs and bruises up her arms, said the National Church Residences' Franklin House housing community hadn't accepted her rent since September, blaming her for the mold in her apartment.

Ms. Fitzgerald was released after her two night's stay in jail on her own recognizance before her upcoming 94th birthday that Friday, but Ms. Fitzgerald should appear in court on December 27th, as she faces the charges of trespassing.​

[ingliz]

@Puffer Fish

Where would the world be if everyone refused to pay their rent? Just because she's a little old lady at death's door doesn't mean she gets a free pass to steal shit.

Honestly, I don't understand why people who think capitalism is the best thing since sliced bread whine when its legal system is working exactly as it should.

[Puffer Fish]

Where would the world be if everyone refused to pay their rent? Just because she's a little old lady at death's door doesn't mean she gets a free pass to steal shit.

Honestly, I don't understand why people who think capitalism is the best thing since sliced bread whine when its legal system is working exactly as it should.

It's more likely the care home just wanted the woman out.

My personal intuition makes me lean towards believing the old woman's side of the story, that the care home just stopped accepting payment from her and wanted her gone.

(It seems like common sense as well. Why would the woman claim the home had stopped accepting payment from her if she was not prepared to pay that money, if given a last chance opportunity to, with the law enforcement authorities available to see it?)


Now, as for blaming "capitalism" for this, I actually think that under a truly "free market" Libertarian capitalist system, that woman might still be living in that home. Except she would just have to deal with whatever mold or problems existed in that apartment on her own.
The law would not be imposing any obligations on the landlord, and so the landlord would not have had a reason to want her out of there.

(Sure, that wouldn't be a very good alternative, but she would not have been evicted)

That's my perspective and opinion.

[Potemkin]

It's more likely the care home just wanted the woman out.

My personal intuition makes me lean towards believing the old woman's side of the story, that the care home just stopped accepting payment from her and wanted her gone.

(It seems like common sense as well. Why would the woman claim the home had stopped accepting payment from her if she was not prepared to pay that money, if given a last chance opportunity to, with the law enforcement authorities available to see it?)


Now, as for blaming "capitalism" for this, I actually think that under a truly "free market" Libertarian capitalist system, that woman might still be living in that home. Except she would just have to deal with whatever mold or problems existed in that apartment on her own.
The law would not be imposing any obligations on the landlord, and so the landlord would not have had a reason to want her out of there.

(Sure, that wouldn't be a very good alternative, but she would not have been evicted)

That's my perspective and opinion.

Capitalism requires a legal system to enforce contracts, which requires a government with a monopoly on the use of force. Even Ayn Rand understood that, which is why she despised Libertarians all her life.

[Puffer Fish]

Capitalism requires a legal system to enforce contracts, which requires a government with a monopoly on the use of force. Even Ayn Rand understood that, which is why she despised Libertarians all her life.

Did you listen to what I said?

This woman was likely kicked out because of a law that exists that requires the property manager to have to keep the property in a certain condition.

With this woman complaining about that, she had to go. Otherwise the property owner might have been legally forced to pay for expensive mold mitigation and remediation.

So ironically and paradoxically, a law that was intended to help protect renters may have been the cause of this woman being evicted and thrown out into the streets.

[Potemkin]

Did you listen to what I said?

This woman was likely kicked out because of a law that exists that requires the property manager to have to keep the property in a certain condition.

With this woman complaining about that, she had to go. Otherwise the property owner might have been legally forced to pay for expensive mold mitigation and remediation.

So ironically and paradoxically, a law that was intended to help protect renters may have been the cause of this woman being evicted and thrown out into the streets.

She stopped paying her rent, in violation of her contract. The landlord enforced the contract, and she was evicted. That’s capitalism working the way it’s supposed to work.

[Wellsy]

I for one agree with the Austrians. TO infringe upon private property and the freedom of the market is to impose tyranny on us all by restricting the rationality of the dynamic information system it is, even where in individual cases it appears to produce cruel results in people's lives. If housing for the elderly were left to the free market, I bet we would find that old people like her would have homes. No bureaucrat could ever improve upon the market with their limited understanding of God... ahem, I mean capitalism.

[Puffer Fish]

She stopped paying her rent, in violation of her contract. The landlord enforced the contract, and she was evicted. That’s capitalism working the way it’s supposed to work.

You're not very good at reading between the lines.

That's just what the care home claims. The woman says they stopped accepting her money, so they would have an excuse to be able to kick her out.


Two and a half months of uncollected rent would probably still be far cheaper than the cost of mold remediation. (can easily cost $2,000 to $7,000, sometimes $12,000 to $29,000 in an apartment if they have to start ripping out the walls)

[Red_Army]

Potemkin is perfect at reading between the lines. Mold removal is far more expensive than collecting rent and doing nothing. There is also no reason to make life better in a profit motivated elder care facility. Supply meets demand in this situation with patients living as long as possible with the minimum possible expenditure. The population of people becoming old and infirm is practically infinite for these businesses so they have no incentive to keep people alive beyond what is mandated by law - and in fact will do what is possible to skirt those laws. To ensure this they pay employees horribly in a situation that demands infinite patience and sympathy. Horrible pay eliminates whatever patience and sympathy 90% of employees had after a few months of working.

[Potemkin]

Potemkin is perfect at reading between the lines. Mold removal is far more expensive than collecting rent and doing nothing. There is also no reason to make life better in a profit motivated elder care facility. Supply meets demand in this situation with patients living as long as possible with the minimum possible expenditure. The population of people becoming old and infirm is practically infinite for these businesses so they have no incentive to keep people alive beyond what is mandated by law - and in fact will do what is possible to skirt those laws. To ensure this they pay employees horribly in a situation that demands infinite patience and sympathy. Horrible pay eliminates whatever patience and sympathy 90% of employees had after a few months of working.

In other words, this is capitalism working as it’s meant to work - maximising profits to ensure the most efficient and rational allocation of resources possible. And keeping 94 year olds housed rent-free ain’t it. And spending money to make their lives more comfortable or last longer ain’t it either.

[Red_Army]

Exactly. I'm just breaking it down because "profit motive" is more complicated than it sounds. It is a composite of factors that make our reality a nightmare. A cascade of decisions are made that result in tossing helpless people in the trash. I know you know this, but libertarians still think profit always incentivizes the best thing.

[Potemkin]

Exactly. I'm just breaking it down because "profit motive" is more complicated than it sounds. It is a composite of factors that make our reality a nightmare. A cascade of decisions are made that result in tossing helpless people in the trash. I know you know this, but libertarians still think profit always incentivizes the best thing.

Profit incentives the most efficient thing. Which probably won’t coincide with what most people think of as the ‘best’ thing. @Puffer Fish simply doesn’t seem to understand this yet.

[Red_Army]

Profit incentives the most efficient thing. Which probably won’t coincide with what most people think of as the ‘best’ thing. @Puffer Fish simply doesn’t seem to understand this yet.

It doesn't even incentivize the most efficient thing in the long run. It only incentivizes the thing, the plan, whatever, that makes the most money immediately. It also tends to reward current stakeholders regardless of their value. America (and the UK for that matter) continue to flout rail systems. In the US because the auto industry previously destroyed rail infrastructure and it would take a lot to recreate it, and in the UK because your government took our cue about defunding public infrastructure to point out its failure later.

Capitalism is definitely not the shortest line between 2 points consistently. It is often just giving Raytheon $40 trillion to make a plane that pretends to do everything planes could possibly do because Raytheon donates, creates jobs, and otherwise has influence over policy makers.

[Potemkin]

It doesn't even incentivize the most efficient thing in the long run. It only incentivizes the thing, the plan, whatever, that makes the most money immediately. It also tends to reward current stakeholders regardless of their value. America (and the UK for that matter) continue to flout rail systems. In the US because the auto industry previously destroyed rail infrastructure and it would take a lot to recreate it, and in the UK because your government took our cue about defunding public infrastructure to point out its failure later.

Capitalism is definitely not the shortest line between 2 points consistently. It is often just giving Raytheon $40 trillion to make a plane that pretends to do everything planes could possibly do because Raytheon donates, creates jobs, and otherwise has influence over policy makers.

Not only is capitalism an inhuman system, it’s usually corrupt too.

[Red_Army]

Not only is capitalism an inhuman system, it’s usually corrupt too.

Thankfully the juice of a few people having sick ass lives will be totally worth the squeeze (endless misery).

[Potemkin]

Thankfully the juice of a few people having sick ass lives will be totally worth the squeeze (endless misery).

Capitalism - government = the Mafia. Squeeze that juice. Squeeze it!

[AFAIK]

Not only is capitalism an inhuman system, it’s usually corrupt too.

What is this corruption you speak of? If a politician's actions are motivated by profit they are pure in their heart and soul.
Profits before people should be the mantra of all those living in a capitalist society.

[Puffer Fish]

Capitalism - government = the Mafia. Squeeze that juice. Squeeze it!

I notice that half the things the Left blames on capitalism were actually the result of the Left curtailing and trying to put mandates on the free market.

That seems to be likely possibly the case with this story.

And then you seem to want even more regulations and intervention to try to solve the problems that your previous intervention ended up leading to.

Not only is capitalism an inhuman system, it’s usually corrupt too.

Businesses will often respond to unfair and intrusive government-imposed burdens with corruption, pretending to abide by the rules in a way to try to reduce the burden.

In my opinion, that doesn't mean that you can rightfully place all the blame on private business.

[Puffer Fish]

There is also no reason to make life better in a profit motivated elder care facility.

And you think there would be much more reason in a government run elder care facility?

Do I need to remind you of what the dreadful neglect in orphanages were like in Communist China and Romania in the 80s?

[AFAIK]

It's funny that you have to point to public services in the poorest countries in the world to make a favorable comparison with the wealthiest country in the world. The quality of life in the richest capitalist country is equivalent to that of the poorest communist countries is not the best whataboutism, is it?