Renters’ Rights: Tenant avoids eviction thanks to community resources

Renters’ Rights: Tenant avoids eviction thanks to community resources

CAN BE FAST.... "You canhave your tenant evicted outof their unit within 12days."CONFUSING... "it's reallyscary for people who aren'tlegal trained and who'venever been in court before."AND DEVASTATING"I was at a loss "IT'S WHY WE WANT TOINTRODUCE YOU TO NYLAGORDON.... NYLA AND HERSEVEN YEAR OLD SON ARE AMONGTHE THOUSANDS INOKLAHOMA TRYING TO MAKE ENDSMEET IN THE MIDST OF THECOVID-19 PANDEMIC.NYLA AND HER SON NOW SPENDTHEIR DAYS IN THEIR TINYTULSA APARTMENT.

BEFORE THEVIRUS HIT SHE WORKED IN ARESTAURANT.

WHEN SHE LOSTHER JOB... SHE RELIED ONSAVINGS TO PAY BILLS WHILEWAITING FOR UNEMPLOYMENT ANDHER STIMULUS CHECK.

BUTDELAYS IN THOSE PAYMENTS..AND AN EMPTY BANK ACCOUNTMEANT NO MONEY TO PAY HER."i've never been in thissituation before ever, so itwas very overwhelming forme." SHE'S NOT ALONE.

IT'S ASITUATION SO MANY OTHERSFACE RIGHT NOW.

AND BECAUSESHE COULD NOT PAY HER536-DOLLAR JUNE RENT..

HERLANDLORD STARTED EVICTIONPROCEEDINGS"I didn't know where I wasgoing and what I was goingto do what was going tohappen.""the hard part for a lot oftenants is sometimes theyaren't personally served,and so the landlord insteadjust posts a copy of thecourt notice on their door."if that notice gets lost ortorn down, then the tenantmight not even know theyhave a court date." NYLASAYS BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOWABOUT HER COURT DATE..

SHEDIDN'T APPEAR... AND THATHAD BIG CONSEQUENCES"if a person is served byonly having it posted to thedoor, the court will onlygrant posession to thelandlord and won't grant amoney judgement, but thatposession judgement isenough for them to ask thesheriff to remove you within48 hours." WITH JUDGEMENT INHAND...HER LANDLORD GAVE HER NOTICESHE HAD 48-HOURS TO PAYUP... OR... BE LOCKED OUT BYTHE SHERIFF."I didn't feel like I couldbreathe, I felt like I washolding my breath.

Just theanxiety and the stress andthe worry about where I wasgoing to go with my son.""If you miss your courtdate, you risk losingeverything." NOT KNOWINGWHAT TO DO -NYLA CONTACTED THE PROBLEMSOLVERS ... WE WENT TOWORK... CONTACTING RESTOREHOPE-- IT HELPS RENTERSCATCH UP ON THEIR RENT TOAVOID EVICTION... BUT ITALREADY HAS ABOUT 2-THOUSANDAPPLICATIONS.

WE CONTACTEDFAMILY PROMISE TULSA -- '"we had to change our model.we use existing resourcesby usuing localcongregations to house ourfamilies, but theyve beenclosed down since covid-19,so we have atually expandedour program and started anapartment shelter program."BUT IT HAD NO APARTMENTS TOOFFER..

BUT IT DID WORK WITHRESTORE HOPE ANDAND LEGAL AID..."The number one mistake thattenants make is they dontask for help.

And they don'task for help because theydon't know they can." WITHJUST MINUTES TO SPARE...THEY WERE ABLE TO COME UPWITH THE BACK RENT ANDELECTRIC BILLFUNDS... AND GET NYLA'SLANDLORD TO AGREE TO LET HERSTAY.

BUT... THE LANDLORDDIDN'T HAVE TO."she was real lucky in thatthe community worked reallyhard and came together tomake those resourceavailable and the landlordeventually accepted thathelp, except it came at acost because the landlordincreased what they wereowed in order for her tostay."ISSUES LIKE THIS ARE WHY THEPROBLEM SOLVERS WILL BEWORKING ON STORIES TO HELPYOU KNOW YOUR RENTERS'RIGHTS.

AND WE'RE PUTTINGRESOURCES TO HELP YOU WITHLANDLORD-TENANT DISPUTESWITH THESE STORIES ON OURWEBSITE... HEAD OVER TOKJRH.COM TO SEE THEM... AND IF YOU HAVE AQUESTION ABOUT YOUR RENTERSRIGHTS... CALL THE PROBLEMSOLVERS LINE..

OR SEND US ANEMAIL TO PROBLEMSOVLERS@KJRH.COM CORI DUKE, TWOWORKS FOR YOU