DETROIT (WWJ) – A wild scene unfolded on Detroit’s west side Tuesday afternoon as protesters tried to prevent authorities from evicting a woman from her tiny home.
Bailiffs were met by protesters outside 44-year-old Taura Brown’s home in the Cass Tiny Homes community, in the area of the Lodge Freeway and Chicago Boulevard.
Brown, who is on dialysis as she battles a terminal kidney illness, has been fighting eviction for the better part of two years.
After taking the fight to the courts, a judge ruled that Cass Community Social Services, who owns the home, has legal right to evict her because she doesn’t live in the home more than 50% of the time and has a different lease somewhere else, WWJ’s Ryan Marshall reported.
The small neighborhood of tiny homes is owned by CCSS, who started a program for low-income residents, promising anyone who remains in the home for seven years would get to “convert to homeownership” in an effort to battle poverty.
CCSS officials say Brown has not been living in the home more than 50% of the time and has failed to pay rent, both claims which she denies.
She claims the eviction is “purely retaliatory in nature” because she has been critical of CCSS’s operations.
“When I moved here, we were promised home ownership. We were promised that we would own these homes after seven years,” Brown told WWJ’s Ryan Marshall. “But because I questioned the lies that she was telling the public and made reference to the fact that, if Cass gets sued, you’re putting our home ownership in jeopardy."
She says she stood up for a neighbor who was being evicted and faced trouble after that.
On Tuesday other Detroiters came to Brown's side.
DPD was on the scene to help keep the peace while bailiffs from the 36th District Court served the eviction. However, things quickly escalated between the two sides, Marshall reported.
In October 21 a doctor caring for Brown wrote a letter saying "it is recommended that patient should have minimal disruption in home/living arrangements as this would have a negative impact on patient's ability to perform her prescribed home hemodialysis treatments."
In a statement to WWJ, CCSS officials said they "tried to exercise extreme care to avoid the emotional event that took place at the tiny homes this morning."
"We never condone violence and planned with the courts, law enforcement and additional parties to make sure people – Ms. Brown, the protestors, the bailiffs, police, neighbors, staff and onlookers – would not be injured or arrested. Conversely, Ms. Brown and the outside group have been announcing for weeks that she would not vacate the home and that they planned to “use any means necessary” to avoid the court-ordered eviction."
A statement from the 36th District Court Tuesday evening said "all proper legal procedures were followed" as Brown's case made its way through the courts.
Based on the merits of the case, according to Judge Shawn Jacque, Brown "had no further legal right to remain in possession of the Monterey Street property."
"Any violence specifically aimed at 36th District Court Officers who are performing a legal activity based on a Judge’s Order is unacceptable and won’t be tolerated. Just two weeks ago, two officers were shot and injured with an assault weapon while in the course of their normal duties," the court's press release said.
"One of the Officers involved in that incident was present today, again facing danger while trying to do his job. It has become dangerous for these Court Officers to work, and such violence must not continue."
Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest updates on this story.
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