IMPACT: Cheryl Springs

Impact

Cheryl Springs had been paying her rent for years and had the receipts to prove it. She was shocked when she began to receive eviction notices alleging that she owed $1,400 for rent and water bills. Ms. Springs knew she had to find a way to save her family from wrongful eviction.Cheryl: “My daughter has cerebral palsy, and she can’t walk or talk. Why would I not pay rent? We’d be in the street. And I have grandbabies. I can’t do that to them. I have to take care of my family.”Although Ms. Springs showed all of her payment receipts to her landlord, she continued to receive eviction notices and harassing phone calls. Ms. Springs’ landlord also broke the terms of her lease by sending her water bills for the full amount, instead of the usage amount.  Fearing eviction, Ms. Springs came to CLS for help.

IMPACT: Mr. M

Impact

Mr. M contacted Community Legal Services’ Housing Hotline, frantic that he and his four children would be homeless. Only a month earlier, he paid his first and last month’s rent along with a security deposit to a woman claiming to be the owner of the home he and his family were now living in. As it turned out, she had lost the property at a sheriff sale months prior to this transaction. On top of that, Mr. M was served with an eviction complaint, filed by the actual owner against a different tenant “and all occupants.”  Even though he had no idea who the named defendants were, he stood to be evicted as a result of this complaint against them.