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Arizona woman sleeps in car due to disability; court revives suit over city ban

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Sabrina Beram experiences severe obsessive-compulsive anxiety that frequently triggers an intense sensation preventing her from entering her residence when she perceives unclean conditions. Because her lengthy cleaning routines often leave her unable to enter her home in time to rest, she sleeps in her car at least three times a week. Sedona officials denied her requests for an exemption, leading to warnings from police officers and lease non-renewal threats from her landlord. The Ninth Circuit panel's decision reverses an earlier dismissal, allowing her disability discrimination lawsuit against the city to move forward.

Key points

  • A federal appeals court panel determined that Sabrina Beram's disability discrimination l…: A federal appeals court panel determined that Sabrina Beram's disability discrimination lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act was improperly dismissed.
  • The reinstated lawsuit enables Sabrina Beram to pursue monetary damages and an order barr…: The reinstated lawsuit enables Sabrina Beram to pursue monetary damages and an order barring local police from enforcing the sleeping ban against her.
  • Sedona officials had previously refused to grant an accommodation that would exempt Sabri…: Sedona officials had previously refused to grant an accommodation that would exempt Sabrina Beram from the citywide vehicle-sleeping prohibition.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A federal appeals court has allowed a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by a woman in Sedona to move forward. The woman sleeps in her car because her severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often makes it impossible for her to enter her own apartment. In a published ruling issued on November 12, 2026, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that a lower court judge was wrong to dismiss Sabrina Beram's lawsuit against the City of Sedona under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The decision allows Beram to seek financial compensation and a court order stopping police from enforcing the city's ban on sleeping in vehicles against her when she rests in the parking lot of her apartment complex.

According to Ninth Circuit court records, Beram rents an apartment in Sedona, Arizona, and lives with severe, long-term obsessive-compulsive anxiety. When she "perceives unclean conditions in her apartment," she "experiences a strong sensory perception" that feels like "an electric fence" that "commands her not to enter" her home, the court's opinion states.…

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