Know What To Do When Facing An Eviction

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Have you fallen behind on your rent and are worried about being evicted? If so, it will help to know about the eviction process and what to do at each step.

Watch For The Written Notice

Be aware that being physically removed from your rental unit is not going to happen out of nowhere. Your landlord is required to give you written notice of the eviction before they can move forward with the legal process behind it. If you receive a written notice and have a defense as to why you shouldn't be evicted, it is worth meeting with a lawyer that specializes in evictions to help you out. 

Reach Out To Your Landlord

Your best strategy for avoiding eviction is to contact your landlord and find out what you can do to stop the eviction. They may be willing to compromise with you to make things right, reduce the amount of back rent that you owe, or make a request of you regarding any rules that you may be breaking. If you can reach an agreement, make sure that it is in writing so that the landlord cannot back out of the agreement later. 

Your goal should be to avoid a situation where the landlord files the necessary paperwork with the local court to start the eviction process. This paperwork can be part of your public record, and make it difficult for you to get another apartment when a new landlord runs a background check on you. That's why it's important to act quickly when reaching out to your landlord after you receive the written notice. 

Receive Eviction Papers

You will be contacted by the local police to be served eviction papers after they are filed. There is no point in avoiding this part of the process since there will be a limited number of times that you will be personally contacted regarding the eviction. The police will eventually put the eviction notice on your door, which is a legal method of serving you the document. Your neighbors will then be well aware that you are being evicted when they see the notice. 

Prove Your Case

Once you have been served eviction papers, you will need to go to court to prove your side of the story as to why you do not deserve to be evicted. If you lose in court, you will need to willingly move out or file an appeal. If you do neither, the police will force you to move out of your home by a specific day. Make sure you work with a local eviction lawyer if you plan to appeal the eviction.

For more information, contact a local eviction lawyer today.


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