Serving Veterans
“Greg”* is a veteran who was referred by Community Hope SSVF to Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ) for assistance with his debt relief matter. At the time of his referral to VLJ, Greg was living in a small shack with no running water or electricity, forcing Greg to depend on his “neighbors” for electricity via an extension cord.
At one point, Greg’s neighbors put their PSEG bill in his name, with Greg’s consent, but failed to make multiple payments. This resulted in a PSEG bill of $2,940.64 in Greg’s name that was ultimately sent to collections. This unpaid bill was the only thing preventing Greg from obtaining much needed housing assistance, thus forcing him to remain unsuitably housed.
Adelina Herrarte, senior staff attorney for the VLJ Debt Relief Legal Program, took on the matter for full representation. During the course of her representation, Adelina not only negotiated the total amount of the bill down to $2,205.48, she also secured funding from the New Jersey Bankruptcy Lawyers Foundation for $1,605.48 to pay toward the PSEG bill. To ensure Greg would not be left with the remaining debt, Adelina successfully negotiated a settlement with Greg’s former neighbors to pay the balance of the PSEG bill. Greg is now able to move forward with finding stable, suitable housing and a future free from debt he didn’t owe.
*Client's name has been changed to protect and ensure their privacy