A person who is facing an unlawful eviction does have the ability to dispute the eviction in court. There are laws that govern what a landlord can and cannot do when they are evicting a tenant. Anytime a tenant is unsure of whether their eviction is lawful or if they’d like to dispute the eviction, they can contact a residential tenant eviction attorney in Chicago for assistance. Their lawyer will help gather proof the eviction is unlawful and help their client through any legal means to ensure they have a safe home until they can move.
Landlords cannot simply lock the tenant out of the home, they must also give them an appropriate amount of time to leave or to dispute the eviction. Once this time is over, they must go through the eviction process with the courts and cannot do anything that would be considered a constructive eviction. A constructive eviction is when the landlord changes the locks, shuts off the water, shuts off the electricity, or otherwise makes it impossible for the person to safely live inside the home. They cannot remove the person’s belonging either without going through the entire eviction process.
If a person has experienced any of the above issues with their landlord, they can contact a residential tenant eviction attorney in Chicago for help. The attorney can file the appropriate documents to dispute an eviction or help the person understand their options for regaining entry if they have been locked out. If the landlord has shut off the water or electricity, a strongly worded letter from the person’s attorney may be enough to help them regain a safe place to live until they can move. The lawyer can also help them determine if they are entitled to any of their money back for the issues they are having with the landlord or help them obtain their security deposit once they do leave.
There are very specific rights for landlords and tenants in the event of an eviction. A tenant who is being unlawfully evicted may want to contact an attorney like Starr, Bejgiert, Zink & Rowells to learn more about their rights and to get help stopping the unlawful eviction or disputing an eviction.
