Attorney of the Day Uncovers Fraud and Stops Eviction
April 27, 2021
Each year, the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center helps more than 2,500 tenants avoid eviction, improve their housing conditions, and more. Although the eviction moratorium protects tenants against eviction, when it expires later this year, tenants like Eddie will be vulnerable again.
Before the pandemic, Eddie’s landlord sued to evict him for violating his lease. The landlord claimed that a process server had delivered Eddie a 30-day notice for the alleged lease violation, requiring him to vacate his unit, but Eddie never received this notice.
Eddie visited the Pro Bono Center’s Landlord Tenant Resource Center (LTRC) and consulted with the Pro Bono Center’s Housing Attorney of the Day. Our attorney discovered other court filings in which the process server claimed to be in a different part of the city at the exact time he claimed to have delivered the 30-day notice to Eddie.
Using this evidence, the attorney was able to have the case dismissed, allowing the tenant to remain in his housing.
During the pandemic, the Center’s staff and volunteers are helping tenants like Eddie every day. In addition to preventing unjust evictions, the Center’s Attorneys of the Day help tenants and small landlords understand their rights and what they need to do to preserve them.
To help the Pro Bono Center continue serving D.C. residents, especially when the eviction moratorium ends, please donate today.
