SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A Sherman Heights family is looking for a new place to live after being evicted from the home they rented for nearly half a century.
Ramona Rodriguez says she and her husband have rented the home on Imperial Avenue for 49 years. Rodriguez says her landlord was the original owner of the home until he recently passed away. In early September, Rodriguez says, the owner's daughter-in-law gave her a week to decide if she wanted to buy the house in cash. Days later, she says she told her it was sold.
"I thought oh my god! I feel like what happened, my mind went blank. I didn't know what to do," says the longtime Sherman Heights resident.
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Rodriguez is now scrambling to pack nearly 50 years worth of memories while also looking for a new place to live. She admits that she never bought the home because she never thought she could afford it.
"I'm not asking to stay in the house, I know it's not mine. But I'm asking for more time," said Rodriguez.
Community activist, Christian Ramirez, heard about the family's eviction and decided to start a Facebook fundraiser to help find the family a place they can afford.
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"Our hope is that at least with this fundraiser, we'll raise enough money to give her just a little bit of peace of mind and if she needs to find a new place, she'll have enough resources," says Ramirez.
Rodriguez says she's not used to asking for help but says she wasn't given a choice. She hopes others learn from her mistakes and invests in having something of their own.
10News reached out to the original owners and the new owners of the home to find out if they'd give Rodriguez more time but so far, haven't heard back.
