“I thought the notice meant I had to be out by Friday. Nilda read it with me in Spanish and showed me the date that really mattered.”
Vilma R.Renter, eviction notice
Plainfield, New Jersey
What's going on at home? Pick the closest one.
Each one opens a page that says what usually happens next, what to bring to a first call and whether we are likely to be the right lawyer. We help renters and small landlords, in English and in Spanish.
Right now I'm dealing with
- An eviction notice or court papersThe dates on the page decide how fast we move
- A deposit that never came backOr a charge you don't owe
- Something broken that no one fixesHeat, water, mold, locks
- A tenant who stopped payingFor small landlords
- Leaving because it isn't safeUse Quick exit at the top of any page
Before you call
Three things worth doing tonight
None of them needs a lawyer. If a paper has a court date on it, call now rather than later.
Hold on to the paper
The notice, the envelope it came in, the lease, texts, receipts. One folder or one bag is enough.
Photograph the problem
Date it if you can: a leak, a lock, a note on the door, the state of the place when you left.
Write down the dates
When rent was paid, when you asked for a repair, when the paper arrived. Dates are most of a housing case.
Renters and small landlords
Both sides of the stoop, never both sides of one case
Most housing fights are between two people who each have rent to pay or a building to look after.
Nilda checks for a conflict before anything else. If she already acts for the other person, she says so on the first call and points you to someone who can help.
Who we act for
Renters: eviction papers, deposits, repairs, lease fights
Small landlords: unpaid rent, proper notices, getting a unit back lawfully
A conflict check before we say yes
Sample comments
What they said when it was over
“She didn't promise anything. She told me what the landlord would probably do, and that is what happened.”
Hakeem T.Renter, repairs
“The deposit letter had charges I had never seen. Two photos and one letter from the office later, they were gone.”
Mauricio S.Renter, deposit
“I own a two-family and my tenant stopped paying. I wanted to do it right. She gave me the order of the steps and kept me from changing the locks.”
Hyacinth B.Small landlord
Each client's case is different. What happened for one person is no promise for yours.
First-call questions
Short answers before you pick up the phone
Do I need a lawyer to answer an eviction notice?
A notice is not a court case, but a court paper has a deadline, and missing it can cost you the case. Call as soon as you have it, even if you are not sure what it is.
I'm a landlord. Can you help me too?
Yes, unless the office already acts for your tenant. That is why we ask for both names on the first call.
Does everyone speak Spanish?
Nilda does, with clients and on paper. Calls, meetings and letters can be in Spanish or English, and you do not need to translate your papers first.
What does it cost to talk?
The first conversation is to see whether we can help. If we can, how we charge is written down and explained before you sign anything.
What if it isn't safe to call me back?
Say so in your message. We will ask how and when it is safe to reach you, and we will not leave messages that mention the case.
Got a paper in your hand? Bring it, or send a photo.
A photo of the front and back is enough to start. We will tell you what it is and what the dates on it mean.
Please don't send confidential details through the web form. We'll ask for them on the phone or in person.