Bedridden 91-year-old Pennsylvania grandma's house sold out from under her due to $3.5K tax debt she thought was paid. Could this happen to you?

“She's in a hospital bed. Are they going to lift the bed up with her in it and take her and put her on the steps?” Gaynor’s daughter, Jackie Davis, told the broadcaster in a story posted Nov. 17.

Davis, who lives in Florida, was left scrambling to find accommodations for her mother.

But those close to Gaynor say none of this should have happened in the first place. Here’s how the events unfolded, and how to keep this from happening to you.

Unpaid tax bill, and a lost home

In the midst of the pandemic in 2020, afraid to leave her home, Gaynor didn’t pay property taxes that year, despite having the means to do so, her attorneys told 6abc Philadelphia. She caught up the following year, but somehow the payment wasn’t applied to taxes in arrears.

The original $3,500 debt ballooned to $14,419 with fees and penalties, and a lien was placed on the home, per 6abc Philadelphia. (2) The property ended up being sold to a real estate firm, CJD Group, for the sum of the debt in what’s known as an “upset sale” to recover the unpaid taxes in September of 2022.

Davis claims Gaynor was unaware of the sale, and that the home she’s lived in for nearly 25 years was suddenly no longer hers.

“She bought this house to die in,” Davis said.

Gaynor’s attorneys fought the sale, calling it a rare case given her age and apparent displays of dementia, but the courts repeatedly ruled in favor of the new owners.

“This is not every tax sale situation,” Alexander Barth, who represents the family, told 6abc Philadelphia. (3) “Most tax sale situations are houses that are damaged or underwater. This is the exception again, but this is stripping generational wealth from a family. This is a sole asset that the mother had to pass on to her children.”

The property was valued at $247,000 in the spring.

According to 6abc Philadelphia, citing public records, CJD Group snapped up at least 62 deeds at Delaware County tax sales since 2011, making it the second-most frequent buyer of tax-defaulted properties in the county.

CJD Group did not reply to requests for comment, 6abc Philadelphia says, however, the broadcaster reports it received a statement from Delaware County Communications and Public Affairs communications director Mike Connolly, which reads in part:

"Once a property is sold at tax sale and the deed is transferred, the new owner is the party who determines whether to pursue a change in occupancy … The Sheriff’s Office becomes involved only if the court issues a Writ of Possession, and there is no such action on file for this address at this time.” The statement was published Nov. 17.

Keep this from happening to you

The way different jurisdictions handle property taxes and liens may vary, but you should always remain vigilant when it comes to paying your debts. Here are some ways to ensure things remain above board: