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A hospital in Florida has withdrawn its lawsuit aimed at evicting a patient who had remained for months, stating that the woman has finally departed.
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) had requested a court order to compel the woman’s removal from her hospital room, where she stayed after her discharge in early October, and had authorized the Leon County Sheriff’s Office to assist in her removal if needed.
A court session planned for Monday was called off after the hospital submitted a voluntary dismissal.
The healthcare facility confirmed to Fox News Digital via an email statement that “this legal action is no longer active, and the individual is no longer at TMH.”
A sign is visible outside Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on February 3, 2023, in Tallahassee, Florida. (AP Photo/Anthony Izaguirre, File)
The hospital contended in its legal filing that the woman’s continued presence occupied staff and resources that could have been allocated to other patients, and it occupied a necessary hospital bed.
A general view of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on April 18, 2025, in Tallahassee, Florida. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images)
“TMH has a limited number of inpatient beds,” the filing stated. “The defendant’s ongoing occupancy prevents the bed from being used by patients requiring immediate medical attention.”
According to the legal documents, she no longer required intensive medical care after an official discharge order was issued on October 6, and hospital personnel made numerous attempts to facilitate her departure, including offering transport and reaching out to her relatives.
The woman had declined to vacate the hospital room even after her discharge in October, as asserted by the hospital in its lawsuit. (iStock)
It remains unclear how frequently hospitals resort to legal proceedings to remove patients who refuse to leave after being discharged.