Woman has elderly man adopt her to inherit his rent-controlled apartment

A 63-year-old woman had an elderly man with dementia adopt her so that she could inherit his $100-a-month New York City rent-stabilized apartment.

According to the New York Post, Pamela Becker, who now calls herself Maria DeTommaso, appeared in a Queens Housing Court last week after her landlords tried to evict her from an apartment in which they say she has no right to live in.

“She has made my life a living hell,” said Sugrim Outar, who owns the apartment building with his wife.

Becker befriended Nicholas DeTommaso and moved into his apartment in 2002. Sometime after that, neighbors said that she would often take the old man shopping and he started to give her gifts including cars.

The Daily Mail noted that DeTommaso was diagnosed with dementia in 2007, at which point Becker was granted power of attorney for him. She also became the beneficiary of his life insurance policy and pension.

Less than a month before the retired dock worker died in 2009, Becker had him legally adopt her and claimed that she was entitled to live in the apartment.

The Outars withdrew their lawsuit, but said they still plan on evicting the woman.

Apartments in the Long Island City, Queens neighborhood go for as much as $3000 a month.