Jan Cline Holds Yard Sales To Pay Medical Bills; City Shuts Them Down

According to KATU-TV in Salem, Ore., Jan Cline, a woman with terminal bone marrow cancer, has been holding yard sales to raise money to pay off her bills.

But Cline recently received an unfortunate notice from the city of Salem: She is breaking the law, and the city is shutting her yard-sale operation down.

Why ever would they do this? Because Salem has a law that says a person can only have three yard sales in one year. Cline, on the other hand, has held yard sales for the last few weekends, and she thought there wouldn't be a problem as long as she kept out of people's way, KATU-TV in Salem reported.

"We make such an effort of making it back here (backyard) so that it’s not goobering up the neighborhood, so it’s not like a garage sale all laid out day after day after day," Cline told KATU-TV.

But still, her neighbor complained about the multiple yard sales and the city intervened, KATU-TV reported.

Cline's bone marrow cancer, which causes holes in her bones and puts her at high risk for fracture, has caused her to lose her ability to work and earn money, so she turned to yard sales for income, she told KATU-TV.

Last year, Jennifer Cline of Monroe, Mich., announced that she was selling a handwritten letter from President Obama for $7,000 to help pay for medical bills. Cline, who had been diagnosed with skin cancer, had initially written a letter to Obama explaining how she was struggling without health insurance, AOL News reported.

Obama wrote back, saying, "Thanks for the very kind and inspiring letter. I know times are tough, but knowing there are folks out there like you and your husband gives me confidence that things will keep getting better!," AOL News reported.

Even more extreme, back in June James Verone robbed a bank in North Carolina for $1 in order to receive free health care in jail.

For more on Jan Cline, read the story and watch the KATU-TV video here.

Want to help? Visit the "Jan Cline's Fight Against Cancer" website or the "Help Jan Cline Fight Cancer" page on Facebook for more information on donating.

Have you heard of any other out-of-the-box things people have done to pay for medical bills? Leave a comment below.

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Comments

[Debra Christian]

01:40 PM on 09/17/2011

Jan is in the hospital. She is weak and can't eat. Please pray for her and her family.

[stxchic]

09:55 PM on 08/24/2011

Since this story went national, over 35,000.00 has been donated to help Jan Cline. Amazing!

[We Should Care]

09:48 AM on 08/21/2011

Maybe her complaining neighbor will have a similar problem someday; not the yard sale.

[gwefra]

10:16 PM on 08/20/2011

To Mason Wirsig..
Not sure about Oregon garage sales but in the state I live in you have to report your earnings from a garage sale and pay taxes on it. That's not to say that all people report the actual dollar amount of their profits, but to say there is no taxes on garage sales is not correct. At least not in this state. And even if there isn't a tax in Oregon I certainly don't begrudge a cancer stricken woman having multiple garage or yard sales to help pay her medical bills.

[thebenburkhardt]

09:48 PM on 08/20/2011

I guess our government would rather have us all dependent on them than have some people try to help themselves. Seriously? This is only going to get worse in the future with government becoming more and more powerful.

[babina]

10:40 PM on 08/21/2011

If she had health care insurance, which everyone should have, she would not have to hold garage sales to pay medical bills.

[setokabia90910]

04:08 AM on 09/13/2011

Word.

[spkninglsh]

08:24 PM on 08/20/2011

But at least she was allowed to pick her own provider. ~super snark

[kraki]

06:07 PM on 08/20/2011

Tried to find the city code for this, didn't find it.

What I was looking for is if they covered :
1.) DURATION OF SALE. They may have covered this, ie "If a sale extends beyond 72 hours, it's a start of a new sale." If not, start the garage sale, never end it. Claim the last two (or three), as one long one.

2.) NEW OWNER/RENTER. Further, her family members/friends could 'rent' the house from them each weekend (new 'owners/renters' - new '3 times a year'). Nice way to thumb your nose at them.

3.) GRANDFATHERED IN? Did they live there before the law was enacted? She could asked to be grandfathered in.

4.) HAUNTED HOUSE. What about a Haunted House in her back yard. A quarter admission, *cough* "unfinished prop" items on sale at the exit (the whole back yard). Do they limit WHEN a Haunted House can start/stop?

From the right,
Kraki

[kraki]

06:22 PM on 08/20/2011

extension to the HAUNTED HOUSE. Have the lady dress up in a witch outfit. She can be "The Evil Garage Sail Witch of Salem".

[apposite01]

06:06 PM on 08/20/2011

Perhaps if some basic compassion and common sense were involved they could make an exception for this woman because of her circumstances, she is trying to pay for treatment to save her life, but unfortunately it seems unlikely.

[gypsy214]

04:58 PM on 08/20/2011

Nice, sympathetic neighbors this woman has. If I lived near her, and was aware of her situation, I'd allow her to have three yard sales in my yard so she wouldn't technically be in violation of the law.

[Debra Christian]

10:21 PM on 08/19/2011

It is so exciting to see the donations on the website. This morning it was at $19,000 and someone on FB reported it is now over $30,000! It was also nice to see that she has family. It's so important when you are ill.

God's blessings to you, Mrs. Cline!

[girlythug72]

09:47 PM on 08/19/2011

the only people who cares is are the ones spinning money at the yard sales!!!!!!!! these cities laws sucks sometimes

[Margie Antico]

08:48 PM on 08/19/2011

How would they have her pay her expenses? I have seen Ebay mentioned a couple of times, but I am pretty sure if anyone else were in her place they would probably not want to wait until items were auctioned off, when important things like medicine are needed immediately. And how could you possibly enjoy yourself in your surroundings knowing that you have stopped someone who is ill from getting what they need, you would have had to have been born without a comcious and a heart.

[FdeBear]

08:39 PM on 08/19/2011

Howabout Ebay?

[aurora445]

07:06 PM on 08/19/2011

These laws are there to make sure that no one gets ahead as well as to show how corrupt this country is.You own your own home,you pay mega taxes but you still have to live a life of slavery because of the greedy corrupt polititions.This women should have every right to do what she is doing and if anyone wants to run a garage sale every day then that should be their right.America is not the best country to live in,rated like #30 now and this story is just another example of how innocent people get screwed by just trying to stay alive.

[kraki]

05:53 PM on 08/20/2011

"have to live a life of slavery because of the greedy corrupt politicians"

Only if you choose to be a victim. Sounds like you have.

From the back of the bus,
Kraki

[Billzo]

02:52 PM on 08/19/2011

I hope one day you folks in the States get Universal Health Care so that every person will be guaranteed that you not go through what this person is enduring. It should be a basic human right, not a privelege made available to only those who can afford it.

[FdeBear]

08:50 PM on 08/19/2011

Thanks because I've had it with donation cans at the convenience store and perpetual garage sales. It's not like I don't sympathize with these victims, but I am so outraged that we have to resort to this because we dont have universal health care! These projects are a lot of hard work. It is enough for people to just deal with their illness. I really can't blame her neighbor. I wouldnt like to live next to a perpetural garage sale regardless of its purpose, but what choice does this sick woman have. This country is so set on people taking "personal responsibility" and all that bootstrap BS. Why can't we take "responsibility" for those who need us most as a nation. This is disgusting. This lady should be enjoying her backyard while she's trying to heal - not running a retail enterprise. It's immoral that people are put into this kind of position. The USA should be ashamed of itself. Everybody is worthy of medical care.

[kraki]

05:57 PM on 08/20/2011

Health Care is NOT a human right. We have the best in the world, folks come from all over the world when they have something that absolutely has to be resolved. Many folks from countries that have "free" health care. They don't want to die, waiting their turn.

For some CRAZY reason, liberals think the government will run Health Care differently than EVERYTHING else they have failed at. Making it cost MORE and delivering LESS. Libs want it because it "makes them feel good"[tm] to think they are helping someone else. *joyful awe*

From the back of the bus,
Kraki