Gloria Gaynor (unrelated to the I Will Survive hitmaker), a 91-year-old bedridden grandmother from Delaware County, could soon be thrown out of her home of 25 years by the new owners of the property.
According to Atlanta Black Star, the woman’s family told WPVI that the house was reportedly auctioned off following an oversight that resulted in an unsettled tax bill.
The family also received a notice last week that the new owners would force Gaynor out of the house in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, with the help of local law enforcement.
Gaynor’s daughter, Jackie Davis, who lives in Florida, addressed the situation and questioned the actions of the new owners.
“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?” she asked.
Davis also mentioned that she only wants to buy more time to look for a new place for her mother. “I don’t have a proper place for her as yet, so I’m asking for time,” she stated.
“I just need to come up with a plan to be able to take her to a home with me. That is my solution,” Gaynor’s daughter added.
🚨 OUTRAGE: 91-year-old grandma’s lifelong home STOLEN over a tiny tax bill in “legal theft” scheme! Her combat vet son fights back—I spoke to the family & uncovered a massive criminal ring involving lawyers, judges & investors preying on seniors!This is UN-AMERICAN. Full exposé…
— Leah Hoopes (@hoopes_leah) December 18, 2025
Davis also shared that she wants to find a larger home to accommodate her mother and family because Gaynor would not be able to survive in assisted living facilities due to her slight dementia.
Gloria Gaynor’s trouble with the unpaid tax began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the rapid spread of the virus, the elderly woman reportedly quarantined inside her home and failed to pay her property taxes that year.
As the pandemic lockdowns eased in 2021, Gaynor’s attorneys resumed her tax payments, saying she had enough funds to pay. However, those payments could not cover the outstanding 2020 tax debt. As a result, a tax lien was placed on Gaynor’s home.
In September 2022, her $3,500 tax debt was sold at an “upset sale” for more than $14,000 to CJD Legal Group. Under Pennsylvania law, the purchaser of the property tax debt at such auctions also acquires ownership of the property.
While Gaylor’s legal team challenged the sale in court, judges ultimately ruled in favor of CJD. The property was appraised earlier this year at $250,000.
According to public records retrieved by WPVI, the CJD Legal Group has reportedly purchased 62 deeds at Delaware County tax sales since 2011.
The milestone has transformed the group into the second-most frequent buyer of tax-defaulted properties in the county. Hence Gloria Gaynor’s daughter shared that engaging in a legal battle with CJD would be too expensive for the family.
Speaking about the legal situation, Alexander Barth, who represents the family, said, “I would say, the exception, not the rule.”
“In most cases, tax sales are taking place because people are either unable to or unwilling to pay taxes, and the county and the school districts need to recover those funds,” he explained.
“This is a diamond in a rough case, I would say. This is not every tax sale situation. Most tax sale situations are houses that are damaged or underwater,” Barth noted.
“This is the exception again, but this is stripping generational wealth from a family,” he mentioned.
“This is a sole asset that the mother had to pass on to her children, and now it’s — and it had very little debt on it, and there was mostly equity in this home. And now they’ve lost that,” Barth stated.
This is about my grandmother please like and share!
91-year-old on verge of losing home over $3,500 tax bill https://t.co/r3gWu4StJD via @YouTube
— Certified Lonely Boy 🇯🇲🇺🇸🇯🇲 (@Seanto55) July 19, 2025
Delaware County Communications and Public Affairs Communications Director Mike Connolly also issued a statement regarding the matter: “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 statement read.
“If they choose to move forward, the process begins with filings in the Court of Common Pleas, and those filings appear in the public docket,” it explained.
“Individuals can review the status of any Complaint in Ejectment or related filings through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System’s online ‘Public Access’ portal,” the statement continued.
“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,” it stated.
“We understand that this is a very difficult situation for the family, and we recognize the stress that uncertainty around housing can create,” the statement mentioned.
“While the County is required to follow the procedures set by state law in tax sale matters, we remain mindful of the emotional toll that these circumstances can have on residents,” it concluded.
