99-year-old SF widow wins eviction reprieve, for now

A 99-year-old widow who had the good luck to make it to 99 got a little more good luck on Tuesday in San Francisco when the legal system put her hard-to-believe eviction on hold.

“I feel happy,” said Iris Canada, holding onto the handles of her walker as she stood at the front door of the courthouse on McAllister Street.

Canada has lived in her flat at 670 Page St. since the 1940s. Eleven years ago, after the apartments in the six-unit building were sold off individually, Canada was promised she could keep living in her flat for the rest of her life, for $700 a month.

She kept living and living and, despite a mild stroke some months ago, kept living. And while she continues to do that, the owners of her flat cannot sell it.

“I love living in San Francisco,” Canada said. “San Francisco is my home, and my home is my home. I don’t want to go anyplace.”

On Tuesday, several lawyers in suits met inside a courtroom to argue before a Superior Court judge why Canada should or should not have to leave.

Iris Canada, right, is cheered on by her supporters during a news conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Supporters of Canada, a 99-year-old woman who faces eviction from her Western Addition apartment, rallied and held a news conference outside the Superior Court of California. Canada has lived in her apartment for decades. less Iris Canada, right, is cheered on by her supporters during a news conference on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in San Francisco, Calif. Supporters of Canada, a 99-year-old woman who faces eviction from her Western ... more Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Santiago Mejia, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close 99-year-old SF widow wins eviction reprieve, for now 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

Lawyers for the unit’s owners — Peter Owens, Stephen Owens and Carolyn Radisch — contend Canada, a retired nurse, has not lived continuously in the flat. The owners filed a complaint with the court stating that Canada had “permitted waste to occur on the premises” and that she had “failed to permanently reside at the premises.”

Lawyers for Canada replied that was because she was in the hospital, with her stroke, and also caring for a niece, who had cancer, according to attorney Michael Spalding, who represented Canada on behalf of the Homeless Advocacy Project of San Francisco.

Lawyers for the owner said Canada had not kept the place up.

“Yes, I have,” Canada said later.

Action postponed

Judge A. James Robertson postponed the eviction and ordered lawyers for both sides back next week to see if the eviction should be lifted permanently.

Meanwhile, Canada found herself something of a sudden celebrity in the world of tenants’ rights law. Standing beside her at the courthouse door were a half dozen tenants advocates, protesters with picket signs and San Francisco Supervisor London Breed, who called on the building owners to “show some compassion.”

Supervisor’s objection

“This is something that shouldn’t be happening,” Breed said. “Something is wrong. We have too many seniors living on our streets. We are asking the owner to let her stay, let her be.”

Canada’s friend, counselor Gus Brown from the Housing Rights Committee, said that the widow had paid $79,000 over the years to the owners under the terms of her deal, and that it was not her fault she was still alive.

“They thought in 2005 that, in two or three years, she’d be dead,” Brown said. “That’s what this is really about.”

Tommi Mecca, counseling director of the committee, urged the unit’s owners to drop their lawsuit.

“Why all of a sudden do they want her evicted? They can’t wait? The woman’s 99,” Mecca said. “I just can’t fathom how they justify this.”

Proving her point

After the court hearing, Canada went back to her flat and invited anyone who believed that she hadn’t kept the place up to come inside and have a look around.

She put her walker aside, climbed the 13 steps to her apartment without assistance and plopped down on a red sofa to “see what’s on TV,” which is how she passes the day when she is not called before the bar of justice. She said she likes watching news and movies because they’re both “full of good stories.”

Her living room was an amalgam of stuffed animals, pictures of relatives, five TV remote controls, two plastic bananas in a bowl, a Chinese lantern, a slot machine, a collection of 45 rpm records, a framed picture of da Vinci’s “Last Supper” and a cuckoo clock. All of it looked to be well cared for.

Canada said she is looking forward to returning to court to see what the lawyers have in store this time, assuming next week rolls around, never a sure thing.

“We’ll see what happens,” Canada said.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF