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Michigan Landlords and Tenants May Be Facing Big Changes

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The State Court Administrative Office has proposed new rules that would affect eviction cases. The proposal includes an option for online pretrial hearings in eviction cases, a tenant requirement to give landlords 48-hour notice if a jury trial is desired, a requirement that tenants be served in person if the landlord wants an immediate default judgement, the creation of a minimum 7-day window between pretrial hearings and trials, and the ability for tenants to get an automatic stay if they’ve applied for rental aid. The aim is to allow more time for commercial and residential tenants to pay what is owed when they fall short. In some cases, this will lengthen the eviction process. The intent is to continue the advances that were made during the pandemic. The rule changes are in a public comment period until Tuesday.

 

Free Legal Services for Low-Income Tenants Delayed

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A program to provide free lawyers to low-income Detroiters facing eviction is being delayed. The program was supposed to start October 1, according to the Detroit City Council ordinance that was enacted over the summer. Tenant advocates are voicing concerns over the delay, although legal services continue to be available through a statewide pandemic program. The ordinance offers legal representation in 36th District Court for tenants who are facing eviction and making below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. The city is working to produce requests for proposals and is working its way through the American Rescue Plan compliance process. Funding for the program would last for over three years.

 

 

Hotel Residents Demand Affordable Housing

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Evicted tenants who have become hotel residents are about to have their federal aid come to an end. They called on city officials for help finding affordable housing before the federal aid runs out. More than 275 Detroit households have used federal aid through the federal American Rescue Plan to pay for hotels following eviction. The tenants had been informed that the aid would be cut off on June 1. Of the 88 households currently living in hotels and supported by the aid, 40 have received an extension on their end date to June 30. The other 48 already had later end dates.

 

 

Gilbert Family Foundation Pledges Money For Eviction Defense

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The Gilbert Family Foundation has pledged up to $13 million over three years to help renters avoid eviction in Detroit. This comes weeks after the city of Detroit passed an ordinance giving renters at risk of eviction the right to have an attorney represent them in their defense. The United Community Housing Coalition, Lakeshore Legal Aid and Michigan Legal Services will split the money evenly. The Detroit Eviction Defense Fund was created after the city committed $6 million in American Rescue Plan dollars to fund eviction defense. It is thought that Detroit’s population decline is occurring, in part, to the 30,000 Detroit households that face eviction each year.

Eviction Moratorium Extension Causes Angst

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Metro Detroit landlords continue to wrestle with the eviction moratorium extension. Some have drained their savings and maxed out credit cards to cover costs on their rental properties. The eviction moratorium had recently ended, only to be extended again until October 3. Tenants who face eviction often lose everything when their belongings are disposed of. More than 18,000 applicants have been approved for more than $117 million in rent relief, with thousands more awaiting approval of their application. $400 million still needs to be distributed. Although the extension was intended for communities that had substantial Covid 19 spread, Wayne County now qualifies after entering the substantial transmission category on Wednesday afternoon.

Eviction Moratorium Expiration Leaves Renters in a Lurch

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The federal eviction moratorium was scheduled to end on Saturday at midnight, leaving renters to face uncertain futures as they search for housing. Homeless shelters have been adding beds in anticipation. According to a Census Bureau survey, 3.6 million people think they will be evicted within the next two months. The moratorium protected struggling renters in public or private housing if they could prove they had lost income during the pandemic. The moratorium ends when only a small part of the Congress-approved rent assistance has been distributed.  Some states have eviction moratoriums that will extend past the federal one.

 

 

Tenants Terrorize Landlord: No Eviction In Sight

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Queens, New York landlord, Vanie Mangal, spends her days supporting Covid 19 patients and her nights facing harrassment from her tenants.  Some of her tenants haven’t paid rent in over 15 months, and she has lost over $36,000 in rent. They’ve also destroyed or damaged her personal property. The federal government and the state of New York imposed eviction moratoriums. The moratoriums have hit small landlords especially hard. An estimated 28 percent of New York’s 2.3 million rental units are owned by landlords who have fewer than five properties. Landlords can seek pandemic financial assistance, but the aid is too slow, and it comes with certain strings attached that limit the actions the landlord can take against unruly tenants.