Community Post

Fighting Eviction

A Capitol Hill activist recently sent around this useful information:

Recently I attempted to help a neighbor fight an eviction. We are hopeful that we will be successful.

Given the rapid displacement of our neighbors, especially those with limited resources, perhaps you might soon find yourself with a neighbor who needs some help. If you know attorneys who might be willing to do pro bono work in this area, it would be nice to have some neighborhood referral resources for this.

I have compiled the below action steps and resources. This is not legal advice. I am not an attorney. And perhaps someone else knows a better process. But this is what I found to be most helpful and what I learned through my research and meetings with my neighbor and our meetings with advocates.

  1. Ask if the resident is willing to share their eviction papers, lease, and any other correspondence / notices. Make extra copies for the resident (and for yourself, with permission) so that as you both meet with folks, you can share / mark them up. Scan clean copies so that they are email-able to attorneys who want to review the documents in order to decide if they are willing to take the case.
  2. Read the relevant sections of the “tenant rights handbook” and the “eviction response packet” together (see below).The most important thing to do is meet any deadlines with the appropriate legal forms.
  3. Assess wether there are options for private legal representation (perhaps the resident’s friends or family might help)
  4. Explore public options. My first stop would be the Northwest Justice Project at the courthouse downtown: 3rd floor. Arrive at 7:45 and put your name on the clipboard for a consultation. The link below tells what paperwork to bring to this meeting. The person being evicted must be present and willing to sign paperwork about income level in order to receive legal advice on the case.
  5. Help the resident decide whether they will respond to the eviction with attorney representation (private or public) or “pro se” if neither are possible. If pro se, use the legal documents in the  “eviction response packet” as your guide. READ CAREFULLY AND MEET ALL DEADLINES WITH THE OPPOSING PARTY’S ATTORNEY AND WITH THE COURT CLERK’S OFFICE

That is as far as I got with this neighbor, since an attorney has now taken her case. Hooray! Resources…

Housing Justice Project — free attorney consultation / representation www.kcba.org/pbs/HJP.aspx

 

Tenant rights handbook eviction on pages 15-19

http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/files/C9D2EA3F-0350-D9AF-ACAE-BF37E9BC9FFA/attachments/B6683A5E-C507-4E9B-8A22-02055EC445C5/6300en.pdf

Eviction response packet   http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/files/C9D2EA3F-0350-D9AF-ACAE-BF37E9BC9FFA/attachments/819A0BA1-F856-49A6-8782-E316D85F834B/6310en.pdf

Attorney General resource list  for complaints about discrimination, low income housing, senior issues

http://www.atg.wa.gov/ResidentialLT/default.aspx#.UwO3tGRDu0w

Tenant rights  http://www.washingtonlawhelp.org/issues/housing/tenants-rights

Just Cause Eviction in Seattle–Tenant Information https://www.seattle.gov/dpd/cs/groups/pan/@pan/documents/web_informational/dpdd016420.pdf

Self-representation Pro Se  http://www.courts.wa.gov/programs_orgs/pos_bja/ptc/documents/SuperiorCourtProSeLitigantInformation.pdf

 Solid Ground (Fremont)  Homelessness prevention programs and tenant services

http://www.solid-ground.org/Programs/Housing/Counseling/Pages/default.aspx

2 thoughts on “Fighting Eviction

  1. That is a super great post! People need to know where they can turn. Thank you!

  2. You da best Dan! Your understanding of the CD made a huge difference in our lives. Other Realtors I interviewed were snobbish and totally low balled our property value. One guy said we would be lucky to be 300. Another questioned whether she wanted to represent us because our expectations were to high. I found your market analysis here on the CDN. You worked hard and got us 350K. That cash made a world of difference in how we live today – making a very nice new home affordable. Folks in the CD need your message. Loss of the CDN is a terrible tragedy. The voices won’t be heard and information like yours will be less available. I hope you find new forums to spread your good work to those of us that need it. And on the bright side for many – moved on of the biggest grumblers out of town. Some of these folks ought to give you an award. We still haven’t had our house warming. I’m rebuilding the deck and well do it in the late spring. Bye CD. Bye CDN. You’ve changed me in may ways.