7 On Your Side helps widow get security deposit

CORAM, N.Y. (WABC) -- A Long Island widow was at her most vulnerable.

Her husband had recently died and then, another body blow, a security deposit dispute with her old landlord, one of the largest on Long Island.

"He was just so sweet. You know you can't say enough about him," said Joan Laverty, widow.

Joan Laverty still wears a reminder of her long lost love around her neck.

"My husband's wedding band. Yeah, size 21," Laverty said.

He was a gentle giant known as Papa Joe.

She met him as a teen, married, and raised a family.

Their bond was so strong that a local paper featured it.

But last fall, Joe went in for routine knee replacement surgery and never recovered.

"My husband passed away in November, as a matter of fact it was our 50th wedding anniversary," Laverty said.

Joan and Joe had been living in a gated over 55 community.

But with Joe gone, Joan couldn't afford the rent and had to move out when lease was up in May.

But nearly two months later, she was still due her security deposit.

"It was a thousand dollars. One thousand and ten dollars," Laverty said.

Finally, the check arrived, but there was more bad news.

It was made out to both Joe and Joan.

"They said, 'Can't cash it with two names', I said, 'Well what am I supposed to do?" Laverty said.

Her landlord, Brookwood, wouldn't issue a new check with just Joan's name on it.

"They just said, there's nothing we can do," said Kelly Laverty, Joan and Joe's daughter.

Without the deposit, Joan's moved in with her daughter.

"Why do they put these people through this? I mean my mom was really upset," Kelly Laverty said.

So 7 On Your Side made a couple calls to Brookwood and the next day Joan Laverty had her check in her name only.

Brookwood apologized saying it was a mistake by one of their employees.

A representative said employees would be retrained on proper policy.

"Thank you 7 On Your Side. You guys really came through for me. I mean, it's, I can't say enough," Laverty said.

Now that the thousand dollar weight has been lifted, Joan can start finding a place to call her own.

CONNECT WITH NINA PINEDA AND 7 ON YOUR SIDE

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