Keeping Clients Housed
As is the case with too many tenants, Eliza* had a pending eviction action against her, filed in October 2021, of which she was unaware. In early November 2022, VLJ received Eliza's information from the court and initially contacted her to see if she was interested in receiving legal help. Learning that the eviction case threatened her housing stability, Eliza signed up for the Lowenstein Sandler Prudential Financial Tenancy Clinic held in mid-November 2022.
Eliza attended the virtual clinic and met with volunteer attorneys Amy Woltman (Prudential Financial) and Megan Williams (Lowenstein Sandler). During the clinic, Amy and Megan advised Eliza of her rights, reviewed her case for defenses, and drafted a letter requesting dismissal of the case; the letter was uploaded to the court and sent to the landlord. The clinic ended, but the pro bono involvement did not.
Megan and now Natalie Kraner, also from Lowenstein Sandler, attended the case management conference to further advocate for Eliza and reiterate the defenses identified in the letter. After the conference, the case returned to VLJ for trial, and VLJ Tenancy Program Staff Attorney Nina DePalma represented Eliza.
Thanks to the efforts of Amy, Megan, and Natalie, Nina made a motion to dismiss the case before the trial fully began, and after identifying all the defenses supporting a dismissal, the motion was granted and the case dismissed. Eliza remained in her home!
*Client's name has been changed to protect and ensure their privacy