EVICTION DEFENSE RESOURCES
At the Notice Stage
Before a Complaint for Eviction (Unlawful Detainer) is filed with the court
- All evictions start with a notice. Examples include a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit, a 3 day
notice to cure breach or quit, a 60 day notice to quit …. At the notice stage you can go to one of these resources. See the second box for resources at the Complaint stage.
After a Summons and Complaint is filed,
you must quickly call the resources listed below …
Between 50-60,000 evictions are filed each year in Los Angeles County:
- About half of these tenants file an answer; half simply default and are evicted within 15-21 days after the Summons and Complaint is filed;
- Less than 4,000 tenants a year go to court with a lawyer.
- More than 99% of the tenants that go to court alone lose their case. They end up with debt, an eviction on their record and are locked out 15-21 days after their court date.
This does not have to happen to you.
- An eviction will be filed and serve (deliver in person) in the form of a Summons and Complaint. If
you are not personally served, you can do a Motion to Quash Service. You will know that a Summons and Complaint has been filed because it will be handed to you, OR left at your door (improper service), AND the court will send you a notice that it has been filed.
- If you receive the Notice of Unlawful Detainer Filing from the court, you should wait a few days
to give the landlord a chance to serve you. Don’t be cute and avoid service as that makes a bad situation worse. If the landlord does not serve you within a few days, go to the court, pick up a
copy of the Summons and Complaint, you must answer the Summons and Complaint within 5 days of receiving the documents. Get help from one of the following resources. The sooner you get help the better chances you have to prepare your case. Call them all and keep notes of what happened. Don’t get discouraged.
- It is worth your time and energy to spend the first two days after you are served looking for free legal help. On day 3, or if you want to avoid taking the time to find free legal help, go directly to either the Eviction Defense Network or the Law Offices of Elena I. Popp or one of the other private attorneys.
FREE LEGAL ADVICE
COALITION FOR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL
CES Tenants’ Rights Clinic
7377 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood,
Senior Center in Plummer Park
213/252-4411 (no advice on phone)
Wednesday 7PM & Saturday 10 AM
Walk-in only – first come, first served.
Donation requested. No one turned away due to lack of funds. No income limits. All housing
problems. Counsel, advice and brief service only. No representation. Donation requested. No one turned away due to lack of funds. No income limits. All housing problems. Counsel, advice and
brief service only. No representation.
ACORN
3655 South Grand Avenue, Suite 250
Los Angeles, CA 90007
El Mercado La Paloma, just South of Downtown LA
213/747-4211 x 203
2nd and 4th Wednesday; 6:30PM, call to confirm
Free legal assistance to low-income persons in a clinic setting. Membership fee requested.
INQUILINOS UNIDOS
660 S. Bonnie Brae Street, 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90057
213/483-7497 (no advice over the phone)
Wednesday 1:30-5:30
Walk-in only – first come, first served.
Donation requested. No one turned away due to lack of funds. No income limits. All housing
problems. Counsel and advice and brief service only. No representation. No responses to Eviction actions.
EASTSIDE HOUSING RIGHTS CLINIC
1241 S. Soto Street, Suite 102
Los Angeles, CA 90023
323/980-3500
Mon and Wed: 4 – 7PM (last intake 6:30pm)
Walk ins welcome.
Low cost and free legal assistance for housing issues. Must bring proof of income. Sliding fee scale according to income.
FREE LEGAL SERVICES
LEGAL AID FOUNDATION OF LOS ANGELES
1550 W. 8th Street, corner of Union
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Call for appointment:
Evictions/Illegal lock outs/Illegal utility termination:
213/487-7609
Other housing matters: 213/385-1719
Other legal problems: 800/399-4LAW
http://www.lafla.org
Free legal assistance. Counsel, advice, brief service, help filling out papers and representation depending on the facts of the case. See approximately 25 people per day.
TAKE NOTES OF YOUR CALL:
BET TZEDEK LEGAL SERVICES
145 S. Fairfax Ave., Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Call for an appointment: LA Office: 323/939-0506
Valley Office: 818/769-0136
Free Services. Counsel and advice, brief service and representation in court depending on the facts
of the case.
TAKE NOTES OF YOUR CALL:
LA CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
1241 S. Soto Street, Suite 102
Los Angeles, CA 90023
Call for an appointment: 323/980-3500
Free legal assistance to low income persons living in Northeast and East Los Angeles. Counsel, advice, brief service, help filling out papers and representation depending on the facts of the case.
TAKE NOTES OF YOUR CALL:
HALSA
3550 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 750
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Call for an appointment: 213/637-1020
Free services to low-income residents of LA county with HIV/AIDS. Counsel and advice, brief
service and representation in court depending on the facts of the case.
TAKE NOTES OF YOUR CALL:
COURT HOUSE PROJECTS
The following court houses have programs to help people representing themselves: Van Nuys,
San Fernando, Lancaster, Pomona, Inglewood, Long Beach and Santa Monica. Most are open the hours the court is open and help both landlords and tenants.
None provide representation.
If you cannot get an appointment to do your answer at any of the places listed above, and you run up against the 5 day deadline to filet, go here to get your answer completed and then look for someone to represent you at trial from the places listed below.
PRIVATE ATTORNEYS
LAW OFFICE OF ELENA I. POPP
Call for an appointment 213/223-2028. $75 for half hour consultation. If Ms. Popp thinks she can resolve the case at this stage she will retain your case for $500 to attempt to stop the eviction. If
she is unable to do so, the fee for representation in the eviction is $2000. You can also see
Ms. Popp at the Coalition for Economic Survival Clinic listed above. She volunteers on Saturdays.
PRIVATE ATTORNEYS
If one of these agencies does your answer and your name appears on the caption (first box on the form), you are representing yourself. We strongly urge you to pay for representation from one of these attorneys or from the Eviction Defense Network.
EVICTION DEFENSE NETWORK
1930 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 208, corner of Westlake
Los Angeles, CA 90057
213/385-8112
M-F 9AM - 6PM
Sat. 10AM - 3PM
8741 Van Nuys Blvd., Suite 104
Panorama City, CA 91402
M-F 8:30AM - 5:00PM
Walk-ins only. First come, first served. cost assistance in eviction and other housing matters: consultations, answers to eviction cases, trial preparation, full representation at trial, Notice to
Vacate from sheriff. No income limits. Cost for representation based on sliding fee scale.
The Law Office of Elena I. Popp does not make any representations about the quality of the work of these agencies or private attorneys. Hours of operation and fees listed are subject to change without notice. All Attorneys listed charge for their services and fee arrangements must be made directly with them. Attorneys who regularly represent tenants in housing matters may request to be added to the list by emailing eipopp@aol.com
Francis Campbell
Sabrina Venk
Juan Lozano
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213/223-2065
213/482-4200
213/223-2180
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