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Widow nearly evicted by company that never paid for her house, takes action to stay in home

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  Published in House and Home on Friday, September 26th 2025 at 18:54 GMT by WSB-TV
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Widow Nearly Evicted by Company That Never Paid Her House Takes Action to Stay Home

A Gwinnett County widow, who has lived in the same house for more than 30 years, is fighting a threatened eviction that she says would leave her homeless. The case, which has now entered the county court system, involves a property‑management company that failed to pay for the maintenance of the home and, according to the widow, has threatened to remove her from her own residence.

The Widow and Her Home

The victim in this story is 68‑year‑old Mary J. Carter of Buford, a resident who lost her husband, Thomas Carter, to cancer last year. The two had purchased their 2,200‑square‑foot home in 1992, and the property has been a constant in Mary’s life, “a place I have memories in every corner,” she told WSB-TV in an interview. The house sits on a 0.6‑acre lot in the south‑side of Gwinnett County and is a classic Georgian‑style home that has required only routine maintenance over the past decade.

After Thomas died, the couple’s mortgage was paid off by the Carter family’s estate. Mary was left with the property and the responsibility of maintaining it on her own. She has been able to keep up with regular upkeep until a roof repair company—S & T Home Services—was hired by a neighbor to fix the roof. The company’s claim, according to Mary, was that she would pay for the services and that she would be responsible for the cost of any additional work that became necessary after the initial repair.

The “Never Paid” Company

Mary says that the company failed to pay for the roof repairs. She says, “S & T Home Services said they would do the work and we would pay them, but they never paid anyone.” The roof was then left in disrepair, and in late March the company sent Mary a notice that her lease would be terminated in 60 days unless she paid for the repairs and the maintenance she claimed was owed to them. Mary’s account was that she had not agreed to be a tenant of the company; she was the sole owner of the property. She claims that the notice was “baseless, fraudulent, and a threat of eviction.”

The company, according to the notice, was not a property manager in the traditional sense but a subcontractor that had been hired by a local real‑estate agency. The notice also referred to the company as a “home‑maintenance firm” that had taken the house’s roof and “never paid for it.” The company has not yet responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Consumer Protection, who was contacted for comment, said it was looking into the company’s claims.

Legal Action

Mary filed a civil complaint with the Gwinnett County Clerk on April 10. The complaint, filed under docket number 23‑00107, alleges that the company violated the Georgia Residential Landlord‑Tenant Act by attempting to evict her without a valid lease and that it engaged in “unfair business practices” that “amount to a threat of homelessness.” She is also seeking a monetary damages claim of $12,000, the estimated cost to repair the roof and bring the house up to safety standards, and an injunction to stay the eviction.

“Because I have no other place to go, I’m simply asking the court to stop this ridiculous process,” said Mary. She is represented by a local attorney, Daniel P. Smith of Smith & Associates, who also works for the Gwinnett County Legal Aid program. Smith explained that Mary’s case is not just a personal matter but also part of a larger problem: “We’re seeing a surge in people who are being pushed out of their homes because of companies that never follow through on their obligations,” he said.

County Support and the Eviction‑Prevention Program

Gwinnett County officials responded to the case by offering Mary access to the county’s Eviction‑Prevention Program. The program, overseen by the Department of Housing and Community Development, offers free legal assistance and emergency housing vouchers for residents who are at risk of eviction. Mary’s daughter, Laura Carter, 35, said that the program’s assistance “has been a lifeline for us. I can’t imagine what would happen if we lost this home.”

County Commissioner Karen Miller, who heads the Housing Committee, said the county “has a responsibility to protect residents from predatory business practices.” She added that the county is monitoring the situation to ensure that no other families face a similar threat.

Wider Context

The incident is one of several that have raised concerns about how companies treat homeowners in Georgia. In the past year, the state has seen an increase in “no‑cause” evictions—a practice that has traditionally been reserved for commercial tenants rather than homeowners. Many homeowners have found themselves in similar situations, with companies threatening to repossess or evict them for unpaid maintenance or contractor fees.

The Georgia Department of Labor recently issued a warning to consumers about “predatory maintenance companies” that take advantage of homeowners by inflating repair costs and threatening eviction. The department urges homeowners to keep copies of all repair contracts and to seek legal counsel if they receive any threatening notices.

Current Status and Next Steps

Mary’s case is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 15. At that hearing, the court will decide whether to grant the requested injunction and whether the company’s threat of eviction is legally justified. If the injunction is granted, Mary will be legally protected from being removed from her home while she continues to repair the roof.

In the meantime, Mary is taking steps to protect her finances. She has transferred a portion of her savings to a separate account and is applying for a small emergency grant through the County’s Housing Assistance Fund. She has also reached out to a local nonprofit, “Home Safe, Home Secure,” that provides legal and financial counseling to homeowners facing eviction threats.

“People like me shouldn’t be living in fear of losing the house they’ve worked so hard for,” Mary said in a closing statement. “I’m fighting for my right to stay in my own home. If the court doesn’t help me, I know I have the community’s support.”

Links for Further Information

• Gwinnett County Housing & Community Development – [ https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/ ] – for details on the Eviction‑Prevention Program and how to apply.
• Georgia Department of Consumer Protection – [ https://consumer.ga.gov/ ] – for consumer complaints and reports on predatory businesses.
• Georgia Legal Aid – [ https://legalaid.ga.gov/ ] – for free legal services for low‑income residents.
• Home Safe, Home Secure – [ https://homesafe.org/ ] – for counseling and resources for homeowners facing eviction.