Our Success Stories
Member contacted our office with questions regarding evictions during the pandemic. Member wanted to know if she could be evicted from her affordable housing unit for non-payment of rent. The attorney advised member that the Georgia Supreme Court ruling follows the federally mandated CARES Act Eviction Moratorium. Landlords who receive government assistance in the form of the CARES Act, whose rental property has a federally backed mortgage, or who have tenants who receive subsidized housing money through public housing are prevented from filing evictions for 120 days, and properties that received low income tax credit could not file evictions for nonpayment. Although Georgia landlords can serve the eviction notice (dispossessory proceedings) beginning July 26th, there is a 30-day notice requirement that landlords must meet, meaning the earliest a nonpaying tenant could be evicted would be August 25th. Landlords who have not received stimulus money through the CARES Act must submit verification of such before they can evict a tenant for nonpayment. Resource provided: https://www.nhlp.org/campaign/protecting-renter-and-homeowner-rights-during-our-national-health-crisis-2/
Member contacted our office for assistance after he was unsuccessful in his attempts to dispute an identity theft matter. Member’s business credit card was used to make multiple fraudulent transactions over a one-week period. Member contacted the bank and filed a police report in each of the jurisdictions where the fraudulent charges were made. The bank’s credit card department denied the claim. Our attorney wrote a letter to the bank advising them that member filed four police reports, had his credit card in his possession at all times, did not have a membership at the business where several of the charges had been made, and had not traveled to any of the cities where the fraudulent purchases were charged. In response to our letter, the bank credited member for the loss. Recovery for member: $25,044.81.
A small business member contacted our office for assistance in collecting a debt for services rendered. Member was hired to perform plumbing/septic services for a customer. During the project, member discovered that the customer’s septic tank had not been drained or serviced in 29 years, so waste and sludge was being washed out into the drain field. The customer agreed to the required additional work on the tank, drain field and lines to get the system functioning properly again. Unfortunately, the customer did not pay as agreed, and our member was unsuccessful in his attempts to resolve the matter on his own. An attorney in our office wrote a demand letter for the money owed, pointing out the customer had not raised any complaint or issue with the services performed by member’s crew. In response to our letter, the opposing party paid the outstanding invoice in full. Recovery for member: $4,763.01.
Member contacted our office for assistance after he received a notice from the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) that his license was being suspended because of an unsatisfied judgment stemming from a motor vehicle accident in which he had been involved a year ago. Member was a taxi driver at the time of the incident, and he had valid insurance coverage. Member advised he was unaware of the judgment since service had purportedly been via notorious service. (Notorious service occurs when a copy of the summons and lawsuit is left at the defendant’s residence with a person of suitable age who is presumed to reside at the residence, and it can open the door to claims for defective service.) An attorney in our office wrote a letter to the attorney representing the collection agency, advising him that suspension of member’s license was neither warranted nor proper where he had valid insurance coverage, and we provided the applicable policy information. In response to our letter, we received confirmation from opposing counsel that the account has been paid in full and they have dismissed the case with prejudice. Opposing counsel also provided our office with a general release that member submitted to DDS to avoid suspension of his license. Savings to member: $5,076.00.