Case of the Week 10/27/06

County: Jefferson
Client's Age: 70

Client recently moved into apartment, landlord has ignored her requests to make several repairs. Though most are minor or cosmetic, client had been assured before she moved in they would be fixed and now the client wished she had never taken the place. We reviewed her lease and determined that because it listed no start and end dates, she was actually a month-to-month tenant, and therefore could be released from any further obligation merely by giving 30 days notice that she was moving.

Case of the Week 10/19/06

County: Hardy
Age: 72

Client was being harrassed for collection of a debt. After reviewing her assets, income, and expenses she appears collection-proof, so we explained how to write a cease letter to stop the collections calls. Also we reassured her that the kind of income she gets enjoys federal protection from general creditors, and talked generally about how to prioritize her bills based on the different legal rights she has regarding each kind of expense.

Case of the Week 10/13/06

County: Logan
Age: 75

Our client's former landlord had refused to give her back her security deposit of almost $700, though our client left the apartment clean and undamaged. We wrote a letter to him on her behalf explaining that by law he cannot charge her for normal wear and tear, and he returned her deposit.