Story by Tulsi McDaniels
Only A Judge Can Evict You
In July, MTO counselors jumped into action when tenant Harold D. faced an illegal eviction by his landlord.
The landlord changed the locks. Harold called the police. As often happens, the police declined to act or even to file an official report of the incident.
Despite the police refusing to do their job, Harold and the MTO counselor persisted.
With the help of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization, an advocate engaged with the landlord, informing him of the potential for jail and daily fines for continuing the lockout. This threat of escalating penalties prompted the landlord to restore Harold’s access within the hour.
Thanks to the effective advocacy and Harold’s persistence, he successfully reclaimed his home and upheld his rights as a tenant.
MTO is currently planning to pilot a lockout project to demonstrate an alternative to relying on the police to enforce the law. Stay tuned and don’t let landlords bully you out of your apartment.