What happens after you sue someone in small claims court and win? Do you get your money? Do you ever see them again? If you’re Long Beach landlord Nancy Downs–and you’ve sued your former tenant Star Harris, the answers are “No” and “Yes” respectively.

Harris, of course, is the lady suing a Long Beach 7-Eleven franchise over a slip-and-fall accident she says she suffered at the store in 2004.

But in early 2006, Harris applied to rent an apartment from Downs in the architecturally significant corner building at 505 E. Broadway. She was accepted, and all was well until June 1, 2006–when according to court records, Harris stopped paying the rent.

She was served an eviction notice June 15–but according to a June 28, 2006, letter Downs wrote to the Los Angeles Superior Court, “[Harris] called the next day and threatened [building manager Tanya Sample] and myself . . . . She stated at this phone call that things were missing from her unit and that she could see no signs of a break in [sic].”

Harris tells The District that Sample broke into her apartment and took some jewelry. Court records show that on June 21, 2006, Harris sued Downs in Long Beach small claims court, and that on June 26, 2006, Harris filed papers seeking a restraining order against Sample.

Downs says that in court, things got even stranger–and not merely because Harris, as is her wont, was representing herself. “She did everything she could do in the corridor of the courthouse before we went on, to try to instigate me and egg me on,” Downs says. “It was one of the worst experiences of my life and I’ve been doing this for 25 years.

“She stalked me and stalked me,” Downs says of Harris’s behavior as the case played out. “She is by far one of the most violent people I’ve ever met. I believe that she was capable of anything.”

Harris denies trying to provoke Downs outside the courtroom, and says she never stalked her former landlord.

“People will say anything they want to say,” Harris says. “There’s really nothing there to dig up. I’m an educated, intelligent black person whom they pre-judged.”

And when it was over, they judged her: in July 2006, the court ordered Harris to pay Downs $1,778.30 in back rent, “daily damages” and attorney’s fees. In August 2006, a Long Beach small claims court judge ruled that Downs didn’t owe Harris any money, as a result of Sample’s alleged theft from her apartment.

Downs says she’s never been paid a dime.

Tags: 7-Eleven, California, Debro Saad, eviction, evictions, Long Beach, Nancy Downs, Southern California, Star Harris, The District Weekly, Theo Douglas