Auto Accident Law 101

Tips to Help You Prepare for an Eviction Hearing and Increase Your Odds of Winning Your Case

29 June 2016

Everett Cook

If your landlord recently served you eviction papers and states that you have breached your contract with them due to excessive noise at late hours, the following tip will help you prepare for your court hearing and may help increase your odds of winning the case. 

Seek Legal Advice

Call attorneys in your town who handle eviction cases and consult with several of them in order to determine which one to hire. If you lack the funds to hire a legal representative, contact your local courthouse and request information about legal aid. Many counties offer free legal assistance to individuals who are facing financial hardship. Once you have obtained an attorney, speak candidly to them about your current situation and provide information concerning the accusations that your landlord has made.

If you had a valid reason for making a lot of noise late at night, clarify what it is so that your lawyer can determine how to help have the charges dropped against you. If you feel as if you were treated unfairly and do not recall being loud at any time, your lawyer may be able to delve further into the situation to find out if your landlord has been discriminating against you or is blaming you for noise levels that someone else is responsible for.

Try to Contact Your Landlord

Call or write to your landlord and request that they meet with you to speak about the reason why they would like you to move out. If your landlord agrees to speak to you, you may be able to come to a compromise that you both can live with. If you write to your landlord, keep a copy of the correspondence so that you can provide your lawyer with it in case it needs to be introduced during your court hearing. Otherwise, write down the dates and times that you speak with your landlord and provide a detailed description of what occurred during each occasion.

Even if your landlord is not willing to work with you, having copies of the attempts that you have made to resolve the dispute with your landlord may work in your favor when it is time to go speak to a judge at your hearing.

Take Notes and Collect Witnesses

Keep a journal of all of the events that led up to the current situation. Whenever you remember a detail that may have contributed toward the animosity that your landlord is displaying, jot it down. Speak to friends and family members who have witnessed any actions that may have caused your landlord to turn against you. Request that they attend the court hearing with you and testify on your behalf. If they are not comfortable doing so, ask them if they would at least write a statement describing their perspective and sign it in front of a notary.

If you utilize all of these tips and follow the directions given to you by your attorney, there will be a good chance that you could win your case. Do not feel as if you are backed into a corner or destined to be thrown out on the street. Your attorney will work hard for you and will make sure that none of your rights are violated before or during your court hearing. 

For more information, contact a law firm such as Vandeventer Black LLP.

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