ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — When Gwendolyn Key-Hutchinson returned home from work one day, she discovered a note on the door of the house she had lived in for 16 years. What she read inside would leave her facing a difficult decision about her future in the home she had long considered her own.
Key-Hutchinson, a preschool teacher, had been renting the property on Carter Avenue in St. Louis’ Penrose neighborhood for more than a decade and a half. But according to the notice left on her door in late January, the property had been sold to a new owner — and her living situation was about to change dramatically.
The letter informed her that the home was now owned by a Wyoming-based limited liability company that, according to the notice, “does not operate rental properties.” As a result, she was told she would have to move out by March 1.
A Choice That Left Few Options
While the message seemed clear at first, the note also included an alternative option that raised new questions…