Countless Americans are facing eviction as a result of pandemic-related financial hardship. If you’re one of them, our blog can help.
2020 has been a challenging year for most Americans. But if you’re one of the millions of people struggling to pay bills because you temporarily - or permanently - lost your job, “challenging” doesn’t begin to describe the year you’re having.
The labor market has recovered somewhat since the pandemic started, but many Americans continue to face profound economic hardship.
According to the Pew Research Center, “overall, one-in-four adults, have had trouble paying their bills since the coronavirus outbreak started, a third have dipped into savings or retirement accounts to make ends meet, and about one-in-six have borrowed money from friends or family or have gotten food from a food bank.”
The same Pew Research Center report also says that “among lower-income adults, 46% say they have had trouble paying their bills since the pandemic started, and roughly one-third (32%) say it’s been hard for them to make rent or mortgage payments.”
In fact, as of December 1, 2020, approximately 31.1% of Colorado adults are living in households not current on rent or mortgage where eviction or foreclosure in the next two months is either very likely or somewhat likely.
Too many Americans are at risk of losing their homes - or have already lost their homes - at a time when home is often the only place people can remain healthy and safe.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers, academics, and advocates have conducted continuous analysis of the effect of the public health crisis and economic depression on renters and the housing market. Multiple studies have quantified the effect of COVID-19-related job loss and economic hardship on renters’ ability to pay rent during the pandemic. While methodologies differ, these analyses converge on a dire prediction: If conditions do not change, 29-43% of renter households could be at risk of eviction by the end of the year.” - Aspen Institute, August 2020
If you’re one of the millions of people in the United States facing an uncertain future concerning your job and housing, we can help. If you receive an eviction notice, you must take immediate action to preserve your rights and potentially avoid eviction.
Here are the steps you should take after receiving an eviction notice.
Make sure you understand why you’re receiving the eviction notice and what the message means.
You’ll receive written notification of eviction from a landlord if they choose to begin the eviction process. The notice will state the eviction reason and the amount of time you have to either comply or move out. It may have one of the following titles:
• Notice to Quit
• Notice to Cure or Quit
• Demand for Compliance or Right to Possession Compliance
• If you receive this kind of notice, you may have some options. The Colorado
Department of Local Affairs has current information and answers to frequently asked
questions about evictions on its website (click here). Processes and procedures
change quickly and often in response to COVID-19, so it is crucial that you research,
read, and follow all directions and complete all forms!Respond as quickly as you can.
You should quickly respond if you receive an eviction notice from your landlord - maybe you can reach an agreement outside the courtroom. Evictions are expensive for both parties, and there’s a good chance your landlord is as strapped for cash as you are.
Ignoring the written eviction notice is the worst thing you can do. It is critical that you understand and respond to the landlord and/or the court with any required paperwork and/or court appearances in the timeframe designated by an applicable court, local, state, or federal regulations. If you don’t show for a scheduled hearing, you could face a default judgment, which could strip your right to contest the eviction.
Make arrangements to avoid eviction.
Again, there’s a chance you can work with your landlord to avoid the eviction even if you have received written notification. For most landlord-tenant disputes, both parties are better off working with a skilled mediator like OvalOptions to resolve their issues than heading to court or working with an attorney. With the help of a neutral third-party, you and your landlord may come to a solution that avoids eviction.
Address the complaint.
If you cannot resolve the issue outside a courtroom and don’t comply with the eviction terms, your landlord can file a lawsuit when the eviction notice period ends. This time frame may be changed due to local, state, or federal regulations in place due to COVID-19. You’ll receive copies of the filed court documents, and the court will issue a summons for you to appear. The summons will also tell you that you must file an answer to the complaint on or before a specific date. If you fail to answer, the court can enter a judgment against you.
When you answer the complaint, you can explain why you shouldn’t face eviction. If you’re experiencing pandemic-related financial hardship, your missing or late rent payments are understandable - this is your chance to explain why you feel you’re being wrongly evicted.
The eviction process is overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Millions of Americans are in the same boat, and not just this year. People face eviction due to personal and financial hardship even under “normal” circumstances. It’s not something you should find embarrassing, and with support and resources, you can find a solution outside the courtroom.
Are you at risk of eviction? OvalOptions can help! Click here to learn about our landlord-tenant dispute resolution services.