Story of Justice: Carlos and His Disabled Wife are Served an Eviction Complaint

Story of Justice: Carlos and His Disabled Wife are Served an Eviction Complaint

Background

Carlos*, a 74-year-old Spanish-speaking senior, had lived with his disabled wife in the same apartment for twelve years and always paid his rent on time. To make ends meet, Carlos would wake up at 3 am every morning to work for a company that cleans rental cars at the airport. Unfortunately, when the pandemic struck, fewer people were renting cars, and as a result of this sudden decrease in business, Carlos lost his job.

Carlos fell behind on his rent while trying to support his sick wife. Soon after, his landlord served him with an eviction complaint. Carlos was afraid that he and his disabled wife would end up homeless amid the pandemic. Carlos had never been through the eviction process before and did not know what to do.

Legal Assistance

Carlos was referred by a friend to Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) for free civil legal assistance. CCLA attorneys entered Carlos’ eviction case and filed an Answer and Affirmative Defense and

a Motion for Stay under an eviction moratorium. The court granted Carlos’ eviction case to be “stayed”. The landlord had attempted to get the stay lifted multiple times, but CCLA Attorneys successfully argued for the stay to remain in place.

Why it Matters

Ultimately, CCLA attorneys kept Carlos in his apartment for over a year during the worst times of the pandemic. During this time, Carlos was able to find a source of income to cover rent. Without assistance, the senior would not have responded to the court and the court would have entered a default judgment of eviction action against him. Carlos was grateful for CCLA’s legal assistance in his time of need.