(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.)- Like many who suffered with their health and financial stability during the coronavirus pandemic, a 33-year-old West Palm Beach man faced the looming threat of an eviction when his shifts at work were cut.
The burden of his rent mounted as his debt compounded.
He found himself three months behind on rent. So, he applied for rental assistance through Palm Beach Community Action Program, which then introduced him to Florida Rural Legal Services (FRLS).
Feeling lost and hopeless, the 33-year-old had very few places to turn. But fortunately for him, FRLS was able to step in.
Acting Managing Attorney Zade Shamsi-Basha requested for the landlord to hold off on executing the writ of possession (a legal document that allows a Sheriff to remove an unwelcome person from property) in order to give the client sufficient time to apply for Emergency Rental Assistance.
Facing an eviction is daunting, especially when time is not on your side.
The eviction process can be as quick as three weeks, so tenants may not have much time to figure out what they need to do.
And for this client, only 24 hours remained before the seizing of his home would take place.
“It’s never too late”, said Zade Shamsi-Basha, after handling this emergency eviction case.
The client had already received a final judgment of eviction, and hope seemed lost.
"We located his rental assistance application, which had been stalled, and helped get expeditious approval and payment," explained Shamsi-Basha.
However, the client was still facing an eviction when a 24-hour Notice of Writ of Possession was served.
With less than an hour before the writ would be executed, FRLS quickly prepared and filed an emergency motion.
The outcome was a victory for the client, as Attorney Shamsi-Basha explained.
"I received an order granting the motion with less than one hour before the Writ of Possession would be executed," he said.
Because of this, the client came out with a feeling of great relief. Legal assistance was able to offer the client freedom from his eviction.
If you would benefit from free legal assistance, call 1-888-582-3410 or visit frls.org/housing-law to see if you may qualify.