West Toledo woman with cancer faces eviction crisis

TOLEDO, Ohio — A West Toledo woman battling an illness said she was being kicked out of her apartment and called WTOL 11 for help. Kathy Saltman has lived in the Valley Oak Manor apartment complex for almost 20 years. But she said the last few years have been her most difficult.

She said she was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of bone marrow cancer.

“They were in remission, but they never went away,” Saltman said. “It was in my head. Will the cancer keep me awake at night? Will I be able to bear it? I had a lot of worries in my head.”

And last week I was notified that I had three days to pay the rent. Ms. Saltman said she paid, but her landlord said it was too little, too late.

Saltman’s caregiver, James Tobin, said it was unbelievable.

“I’m shocked. I really don’t know what to say,” Tobin said. “We came here and were good tenants. We never had any problems.”

Saltman was given 30-day eviction notices and the place she’s called home for almost 20 years could soon be owned by someone else.

“It’s maddening because it’s not right,” Saltman said. “I’ve been here for over 15 years. I’m just angry at what I’m going through and what I’m being evicted right now. I want to cry a lot.”

WTOL 11 contacted Saltman’s landlord, who declined to be interviewed. However, Saltman said he may have made the payment but had not yet received it…so he had no choice but to file an eviction notice.