For privacy, name and photo are not those of the actual client
“Lester,” a man in his 70s who had been renting his home for over 30 years, was surprised to receive a notice from his landlord saying he had 10 days to leave his home or else he would be evicted.
His landlord claimed he owed $1,300, but Lester had always paid his rent on time.
Afraid of losing his long-time home, made affordable to him through a federal rental subsidy, Lester came to JALA for help. Lester enjoyed the continuity of his home in a quiet neighborhood near his doctor’s appointments. He did not want to move.
JALA attorney Annie Rodriguez reached out to Lester to find out more about why his landlord was trying to terminate his rental tenancy and uncovered that he had been enduring terrible issues with the condition of his home.
Lester told of how, three months before, his ceiling had caved in and his landlord had done nothing to repair it, despite his numerous requests that it be repaired. Attorney Rodriguez paid a visit to Lester’s home to see for herself and was shocked when she saw the extent of the damage. The ceiling was exposed all the way to the beams in multiple places, and water damage had taken its toll.
Rodriguez doggedly pursued the landlord to cease any steps towards eviction, correct the errors to Lester’s rental accounting, and immediately make repairs on Leonard’s home. The landlord repeatedly avoided her efforts and delayed resolving any of the issues with the conditions of the home or the accounting errors. Undeterred, Rodriguez advocated for Lester by communicating with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Within two weeks of Rodriguez contacting HUD, the landlord finally repaired Lester’s home and corrected his rental accounting to reflect a credit. Lester kept his home and was once again able to enjoy it without fear of eviction.
