Ensured Housing & Financial Stability for Single, Working Mom

Maggie with James Glover, Legal Services Staff Attorney

Maggie is a hard-working mom, who works as an Uber/Lyft driver to have a flexible schedule to help raise her kids and grandkids.  She is the sole breadwinner and supports a family of six.  She and her family lived in a rental home for three years when, out of the blue, her landlord presented her with a water bill in the amount of $3,000 and demanded she pay it in full within 24 hours. 

When Maggie was unable to pay, the landlord not only sued her in small claims court for the utility bill but also filed an eviction against her even though she was current on rent.

This affected Maggie’s entire well-being – she couldn’t eat or sleep and even got into a car accident due to the stress she was under. 

A friend referred Maggie to Legal Services for help.  Through our partnership with Wells Fargo, Staff Attorney James Glover represented Maggie in both matters, which was crucial as the odds are normally stacked against tenants who don’t have legal representation, especially in eviction cases.  A review of all the lease documents demonstrated the landlord had improperly been overcharging Maggie for rent; therefore, the overpayments were applied to the astronomical water bill due.  Ultimately, the eviction was settled and dismissed. 

As a result of our advocacy, Maggie and her family remained in their home through the completion of the school year to ensure there was no disruption to her child’s education, incurred no debt as part of the global settlement and was provided sufficient time to find a new home. Maggie feels grateful to Legal Services and Wells Fargo because she’s happy again, now that we handled everything for her, and she and her family have a safe place to call home. 

 If you are at risk of eviction and need legal assistance, CLICK HERE or call 305-576-0080 to apply for services.