Evictions Halted through June 28th

Heads up, Virginians!  The Virginia Supreme Court has again extended, now to June 28, 2020, relief against the risk of eviction for tenants struggling to make their rent payments.

Under Virginia law, once a tenant has fallen behind in rent and the landlord sends certain required notices to the tenant, the landlord  can initiate what is called an unlawful detainer action to evict the tenant. This action is generally brought in the state’s general district courts and allows the landlord to request that the landlord be granted possession of the property and/or monetary damages (normally back due rent and sometimes fees for property damages). Once a court grants a landlord’s request for an eviction, the landlord can force you to move or have the sheriff forcibly remove you from the property.

Until June 28, all unlawful detainer actions and corresponding writs are suspended or continued (meaning moved to a future date) per the Supreme Court if Virginia’s order.

This is a great thing for struggling renters, as it helps take away the immediate risks of losing their housing, but underlying back due rent and other debt may still be problematic.

At Giles & Lambert, P.C., we primarily represent clients in consumer bankruptcy cases, during which we may be able to help  manage back due rent and other debt in a variety of ways. With the issuance of the Supreme Court’s order, the immediate risk of eviction is mitigated, but if you need help managing the underlying back due rent or related debt or are facing other debt issues, contact us for a free bankruptcy consultation to see whether bankruptcy may give you the financial peace you need and deserve.

‍