"I thought if it's this good here, what's heaven like? It's beautiful. I was really happy," she recalled.
The 54-year-old admits a lot has changed since then. These days Colbert, who suffers from anxiety, feels like a prisoner in her own home.
"I can't come out there anymore," Colbert said. "I'm sitting out here and the drug dealers are glaring at me. I didn't do anything. I live here."
But she may not be living here much longer. Colbert says she's being evicted for complaining about crime. According to court documents she "made bad faith and false allegations to the city about drugs and prostitution on the property." She is also accused of being "belligerent, hostile and stalking a fellow resident."
Colbert said, "I knew that they would retaliate."
Colbert says property management is in denial. After going to court Tuesday afternoon and getting evicted for making false statements about crime, she came home and found a crime alert notice on her door warning residents about some break-ins on the property.
Resident Rosalind Rollins said, "I know we can do something about it if we pull together as tenants."
Rollins had her apartment broken into and money stolen from her purse during a fire drill early Sunday morning. She believes Colbert is being treated unfairly. Colbert, who is appealing the eviction, says she's no quitter.
"We want this issue addressed and we want something done," Colbert said.
Property management has not returned our requests for comment.
