‘I will have nothing.’ Elderly Oak Park woman could lose home for unfinished construction

An elderly Oak Park homeowner says she is at risk of losing her home after the city of Sacramento sued her for not completing a construction project.

“I just want to save my home,” said Wanda Clark, 71. “Let me have whatever last days God has for me. Let me enjoy them in my home.”

Clark purchased her home in 1995 and raised her family there. After her daughter’s husband was killed and her daughter’s children moved in, she decided to build an addition to the home for more space. She paid a contractor $35,000 up front, but he did not finish the work, leaving a partially constructed two-story structure, she said.

In 2012, the city issued Clark a “notice of intent to repair or demolish,” according to a petition the city filed in Sacramento County Superior Court in April 2021. In August 2019, the city boarded up the property, city spokeswoman Kelli Trapani said. In April 2021, the city requested a receiver, which a judge granted in June.

In these cases, a receiver takes “full and complete” control of the property, the petition said.

Last month, the receiver’s attorney filed an application for authorization to sell the property.

The building is in violation of city code due to structural instability, likelihood to collapse and cause injury, causing a public nuisance, and other reasons, according to the petition.

“The City of Sacramento understands and appreciates the sensitivity of this case,” Peter Lemos, code compliance chief, said in a statement. “City staff have worked with the property owner for more than 10 years to bring the house back to livable standards, waiving thousands of dollars in fees and helping multiple times throughout the process. Unfortunately, the house remains in a dangerous condition both to the property owner and the neighborhood. In addition to the structural issues and presence of toxic mold, the house also became a location for illegal activity. At this phase, the Court has ruled that the house should be put into receivership. Nevertheless, the City remains committed to continuing its work to help secure a positive outcome for the property owner.”

But Clark is worried a positive outcome does not seem likely. She said a “for sale” sign went up outside the house a couple of weeks ago.

‘I worked hard for my home’

The house, at 4003 Washington Ave., is assessed at about $131,000, according to the county assessor’s office.

Clark, who works as a county janitor cleaning a downtown building, has never missed a mortgage payment on the house and has no unpaid taxes, she said. She takes every overtime shift she can get. But she still cannot afford to pay to finish the construction or to restore it to the way it was.

Clark has been staying on her sister’s couch across the street since she was locked out of her house in August 2019. If she does not get her house back, she will become homeless, she said.

“I will have nothing,” Clark said. “I won’t have a home. I won’t have any equity in my home. I will be put on the streets.”

Clark has raised at least 20 children in the house, including her own children and her grandchildren.

“The only thing I have is this house,” Clark said. “I worked hard for my home.”

If the house is sold, Clark will not receive the profit, she said.

Representatives from the NAACP, the Sacramento Housing Alliance, the Poor People’s Campaign, Habitat for Humanity and The Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council held a press conference Wednesday in the home’s driveway to urge the city to let Clark keep her home.

Sacramento NAACP President Betty Williams said she received a call from City Manager Howard Chan Wednesday morning before the press conference started, saying he would see what he could do to solve the issue. Chan has agreed to meet with the NAACP and Clark, city spokesman Tim Swanson said.

“It shouldn’t have taken this for us to come together to make this happen,” Williams said. “It could be happening to others.”

Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela said the city should provide assistance for people who can’t afford to keep their homes up to code.

“The city should be in the business of housing people — not making people homeless,” Valenzuela said in a tweet Wednesday. “While I appreciate the need to ensure buildings are safe to live in, those efforts must be coupled with assistance for people who need help keeping their homes up to code. I fully support calls from the community for the city to dedicate resources and/or partner with local community organizations to ensure no resident loses their housing due to repairs they cannot afford to make.”

Councilman Jay Schenirer, who represents Oak Park, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.