The result, a victory for some landlords who could not evict tenants during the early COVID-19 pandemic, could be “chaos” for lawyers and defendants who were not prepared to argue their cases until July.
IN JUST A FEW DAYS, EVICTIONPROCEEDINGS CAN RESUME INHAMILTON COUNTY.
THAT HAS SOMELANDLORDS RELIEVED, BUT MANYTENANTS STRUGGLING IN THE FACEOF COVID-19 SCRAMBLING FOR AWAY TO KEEP A ROOF OVER THEIRHEADS.WCPO 9 NEWS REPORTER KRISTENSWILLEY JOINS US LIVE OUTSIDETHE HAMILTON COUNTY JUSTICECENTER -- WITH WHAT YOUOPTIONS ARE -- IF YOU'RESTRUGGLING WITH A WAY TO PAY.I'M HERE OUTSIDE THE HAMILTONCOUNTY JUSTICE CENTER WHEREEVICTION PROCEEDINGS WILLRESUME MONDAY.
THE LEGAL AIDESOCIETY TELLS US MORE THAN ATHOUSAND PEOPLE CURRENTLY FACEEVICTION LOCALLY AND NOWRENTERS ARE FIGHTING TO STAYIN THEIR HOMES."Tenants need support now morethanever."SETH WEBER AND ANDREW WATTSSERVE ON THE STEERINGCOMMITTEE FOR THE CINCINNATITENANTS UNION.... AND ARE BOTHRENTERS THEMSELVES."I'm unemployed still.
I workat a restaurant and they stillhave notopened."THEY KNOW FIRSTHAND JUST HOWHARD MANY PEOPLE STILL HAVEIT, EVEN AS SOME BUSINESSESBEGIN TO REOPEN."The effects of COVID haven'tstopped just because it's beena couple ofmonths."IT'S WHY THEY ARE CALLING FORA RENT AND MORTGAGE FREEZE ANDWHY NEWS THE COURTS AREREOPENING MAKES THEIR CAUSEURGENT."I'm worried about it.We're in communication with atenant right now who's in asituation where he has adisability and his landlordhasn't been very accommodatingto thatdisability."THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OFSOUTHWEST OHIO HELPS RENTERSIN EVICTION COURT, MANY OFWHOM ARE OUT OF WORK DUE TOCOVID-19, ADDING TO WHAT THEYSAY IS ALREADY A BIGPROBLEM."Pre-COVID we already had ahousing crisis in SouthwestOhio and Cincinnati.
Wealready had an extremeshortage of affordablehousing."LEGAL AID ISN'T CALLING FORRENT STRIKES, BUT NICKDINARDO, MANAGING ATTORNEY FORTHE ORGANIZATION'S HOUSING ANDCONSUMER PRACTICE GROUP, SAYSA TEMPORARY MORATORIUM LIKEBOTH KENTUCKY AND INDIANAHAVE, COULD HELP.
IN THEMEANTIME FEDERAL MONEY COULDHELP LANDLORDS WITH BILLS OFTHEIR OWN TO PAY AND KEEPTENANTS IN THEIR HOMES."There's a lot of challengesthat we're facing and what wereally need at this point istime to be able to help getpeople who are eligible forassistance, assistance andhelp slow things down in thecourt system so we don't haveall of our homeless sheltersfull in a couple of weeks."EVICTIONS TYPICALLY TAKE ABOUT30 DAYS FROM INITIAL NOTICE.WITH THE BACKLOG, TENANTS MAYHAVE SLIGHTLY LONGER.
YOUSHOULD REACH OUT TO THE CLERKOF COURTS OFFICE TO GET ANUPDATE ON YOUR DAY IN COURT.LIVE AT THE HAMILTON COUNTYJUSTICE CENTER...KRISTENSWILLEY... WCPO... 9 NEWS.
Hamilton County Eviction Court, suspended three months because of COVID-19, reopened Monday to a docket full of nerves, with..