When Landlords Push It Too Far

[Corey Goldstein]

When Bethany Strout first reached out, she was overwhelmed, afraid, and confused. She’d been hit with an eviction notice, and while trying to resolve that issue, her landlord served yet another lawsuit, this time demanding $3,370 in unpaid rent and court costs. As someone relying solely on SSI due to Autism, Bethany was understandably panicked that this debt could jeopardize her benefits or her future housing prospects.

Let me be clear, situations like this are exactly why ethical property management matters. Bethany was paying $300 per month for nothing more than a basic 10-by-15-foot room, without special amenities. When she struggled to pay rent, the Richland/Lexington Special Needs Board stepped in to help. Unfortunately, instead of stabilizing Bethany's housing, her landlord saw an opportunity. The rent suddenly jumped from $300 to $650, communicated verbally and without proper notice directly to Bethany’s case manager. Then, realizing taxes reduced her profit, the landlord increased the demand yet again, to $725 per month.

The Special Needs Board paid an astounding $4,000 before finally refusing to continue under these fluctuating, unreasonable demands.

When we finally went to court, Bethany’s case manager detailed the situation, including the landlord’s threats of sending Bethany to a homeless shelter if payments weren’t made. We demonstrated clearly that there had never been proper written notice for the rent increase, and that this outrageous jump in rent, from $300 to $725, was predatory, unethical, and clearly intended to intimidate Bethany.

We further showed the court that, had the rent remained at $300 per month, Bethany would have been current through April 2020 thanks to the payments from the Special Needs Board. We emphasized that the landlord knew Bethany was judgment-proof because of her reliance on SSI, and this lawsuit was purely intended to harass and prevent her from securing public housing in the future.

The judge dismissed the landlord’s case entirely, ruling that Bethany owed absolutely nothing!

This case exemplifies why compassionate, ethical, and fair property management is not just important, it’s essential.