Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) is a non-profit regional law firm that provide high quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western Ohio achieve self reliance, and equal justice and economic opportunity.
Neveah's Story
Neveah* had been subleasing her apartment from her friend Christy* and was paying her portion of the rent directly to Christy. She never had any reason to doubt that Christy was paying the rent in a timely manner to the landlord. When Christy decided to move out, Neveah contacted the landlord to ask for a written lease and said that she would be willing to pay the full rent amount. In response, the landlord filed an eviction action against her.
Neveah called our Legal Aid Line and was assigned a legal aid housing attorney with experience in eviction cases. Neveah’s attorney was able to negotiate for time for her to move out. The landlord was suing both Neveah and Christy for the back due rent, plus other money damages. However, Neveah’s attorney with LAWO argued that Neveah should be dismissed from the lawsuit, noting that she could not be held to the terms of a lease that she never agreed to. The judge found in favor of Neveah.
Neveah is relieved that she will not have a judgment against her, which could have hurt her credit score and lead to her wages being garnished.
*Names have been changed for privacy
About the author
Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.