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My grandmother with undiagnosed alcoholic dementia and a hoarding problem is trying to evict my father the house is in her name, and he is trying to fix up the house and make it livable. He also does all the cleaning and helps my disabled mother. He doesn't have a job but he mows lawns and does plumbing for our neighbors, he cannot pay rent and nobody makes him pay rent. He does pay for some stuff around the house. My grandmother called the cops earlier stating DV and they told us to get family therapy, later on my mother made an appointment. My grandmother has been lying to her doctors and writing down the answers to the dementia tests. I need help and guidance for both of these problems. We aren't sure if she actually filed a eviction notice. My parents aren't married. Please give us any ideas on what to do.

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You'll know if there was an eviction formally filed as there will be someone delivering the notice to your house. Usually there is a period of time that will pass before they can kick you out, and grandma can't just throw you all out in the street right away. You are tenants there, if you've been living there a while. The cops will not do anything about this as it is a civil matter. If someone gets physically violent that will change.

If your grandmother is driving drunk, you need to report this to her doctors that she is lying to and Adult Protective Services. She should not have access to a car, and someone should tell your relatives to stop giving her access to a car. Demented elders should not be driving, let alone drunk and demented elders. She will kill herself or someone else. That happens more often than you think.

If your dad is fixing up her house, he should stop that immediately. It is not his house and there is no guarantee he will inherit anything at all. Your grandma will need to be placed in a facility at some point and the house should be sold for her care. She will reach a point she cannot stay alone in the house. If no one has POA then this can become quite difficult to work with, as the law really does come down on the side of liberty instead of safety when it comes to elderly people and mentally ill people. If she is hoarding she has a mental illness. If she wants to live like that, you can't stop her and no one in any authority positions will do that for you either. If the house becomes a problem for the neighborhood then there might be action but that takes a long long time.

The best advice is what you've been given: it is time for your family to move. Start looking now for other housing. Dad will need to get a job. We don't know how old you are but you might need to get a job as well if you are old enough. Look into social services for your family, go to the county assistance office to find resources. Really, though, your dad should be the one who is looking for these resources for himself and your mom. Or your mom, depending on what her disability is. Good luck and please update us as to how this plays out.
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Reply to SamTheManager
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He needs to accept he cannot help her at this time. He needs to find a place to live and a stable job to fund his own life choices. Let the county know that your grandmother is unsafe. They will check on her and if she needs to be declared incompetent that can happen through the county. That will allow them to move her into a care home. It's time for your father to start thinking of his own retirement someday. He needs a nest egg and concrete plans, not just mowing yards. Hopefully you and your mom also have good jobs. Never rely on unstable people for your home or upkeep.
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Reply to JustAnon
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Where I live it cost $1000 to start eviction proceedings. Does your grandmother have the ability to go to the Courthouse and file. You parents have probably set up residency, she just can't kick them out. So for now shevis blowing hot air. Thisbis a sign, though, for your parents to find a place to live and Social Services is who they should contact.

Does Mom collect Social Security Disability or Social Supplmental Income (SSI ). Is she on Medicaid for health insurance. What can happen is Social Services helps them find housing. Medicaid helps with in home care and Dad can get a job. He needs to work so he can collect a decent check from Social Security when the time comes. After they leave the house, then call APS to evaluate grandma.

Your County should also have a Disability Dept for Mom.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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How old are you? Are you in school still, or independent and working? I'm sorry this family drama has played its way down to you.

Since it's your grandmother's house, she gets to decide who lives there and who doesn't. Rather than sitting around waiting to see whether there's a formal eviction notice, your parents should work on finding a new housing situation and getting their finances in order. Why would they want to stay in a house where they're not welcome, and go through all this friction about it?

Since your mom is disabled and your dad is unemployed, help them contact social services for whatever assistance and is available regarding housing, such as low-income senior housing or section 8, disability services that might be available for your mother so that your father can get a job, employment skill and training for him, etc. Do they have things like SNAP, Medicaid, etc.? You may need to go to a family shelter for a while but again, it's your grandmother's house so she has the power to decide.

Then after you all are moved out, you can contact Adult Protective Services and ask them to do an evaluation on your grandmother. If they decide she needs assistance, they can take over her care since she is uncooperative with you all.

I hope that you will be able to extract yourself from this negative environment and live your OWN life in a way that's productive and peaceful for you.
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Reply to MG8522
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If no one is the PoA for your Grandmother, then short of acquiring guardianship (which would require proving her incompetent) then there's not much anyone can do. Your parents will expend a lot of energy trying to preserve their living situation rather than finding an alternative, like Section 8 housing through social services in their county, which is where they should be spending their efforts.

Hoarders do not like anyone cleaning up or fixing up their hoard. It is a mental disorder and requires therapy. But if she also has "wet brain", then this is an added dimension of problem.

If your Grandmother actually filed an eviction notice, she would have had to go to the courthouse and paid the fee (which can be about $300) and then is required to post the actual paper notice where your parents live (in the house, on the door to their room, etc) for a 30-day period.

Without a PoA your Grandmother will likely become a ward of a court-assigned 3rd party legal guardian. At that point your parents will need to move out of the house, anyway. They should start looking for another place to live before they are forced out in a crisis -- which is brewing.

How old is your Grandmother? Is it your Dad's Mom or your Mom's? Who is buying her the booze (or is she driving to get it herself, in which case the minute she leaves in her car someone should report her as a drunk driver to 911).

Your parents can call and talk to social services about options, but if your Grandmother isn't cooperative there's literally nothing short of guardianship that anyone can do.
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Reply to Geaton777
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Sunra3 Jan 13, 2026
My parents aren't married so she's only trying to evict my father. my parents took the car my mother bought for her away from her, so they bought booze for her like 2-3 times a week. Now her sister bought her a car and she drives herself.
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The house belongs to your grandmother, that automatically means she decides who does and doesn’t live there. When there are concerns about dementia, hoarding, and unreasonable behaviors in an elderly person call Adult Protective Services and report what you’ve seen
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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