Disability advocates facing eviction in Maplewood
The Brief
A Ramsey County judge ordered the family to vacate the Maplewood property by April 15, 2025 but the tenants say they have nowhere to go.
An attorney for the property owner defended the eviction, saying the owner is allowed to do what he wants with the property within the constraints of the law.
State lawmakers are now looking to change the law to provide more protections for renters living with disabilities.
MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Nikki Villavicencio and Darrell Paulsen moved into the two-bedroom Maplewood apartment more than six years ago with their daughter Alley. The state paid for more than $85,000 in modifications to make the home more accessible.
The backstory
Now, the family is being told they need to vacate and won't be able to take any of the assistive devices with them.
Both Paulsen and Villavicencio are wheelchair users, and because she does not have use of her hands Villavicencio uses her feet to conduct most everyday tasks.
Villavicencio is a Maplewood city council member. She and Paulsen are longtime disability advocates.
What they're saying
The property owner, Layers Investment Group of Savage, spoke to F0X 9 through attorney Timothy Baland.
Baland said the property owner has every right to evict the tenants and that they gave them more than sufficient notice, claiming they sent their first order to vacate in August 2024.
Court documents cite Paulsen's use of medical cannabis, a lack of cleanliness, and allegations that Paulsen was running an illegal business out of the unit as reasons for the eviction.
In a statement, Baland said, "I don't think that being disabled or being in wheelchairs entitles the defendants to any special rights - the defendants have to follow the same laws that everyone else does."
What's next
Because the tenants did not vacate by the date mandated by court order, the property owner filed a Writ of Recovery which would allow the Ramsey County Sheriff to remove the defendants from the property.
The family continues to look for alternative housing but say they have not found anything that could accommodate their needs.
State lawmakers Rep. Peter Fischer and Sen. John Hoffman have vowed to work on state legislation that would further protect renters with disabilities.
Fischer said he has introduced a bill that would allow tenants to take any assistive device with them when they leave a rental.
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