Annapolis is one of the most picturesque and historic cities in the state of Maryland. Home of the Naval Academy and the state government, Annapolis is located next to the Bay Bridge after you travel through Crownsville and Severna Park.
Annapolis, Crofton and Pasadena landlords have certain legal obligations to their tenants. Your rights exist regardless of whether you are current on your rent or not. This includes following state law when it comes to the eviction process.
Landlords cannot use self-help to evict tenants, and cannot change locks, do lock-outs, or turn off utilities, including gas, electric, or hot water, due to late rent or a tenant staying past the end date of the lease.
If your legal rights for evictions have been violated, the attorneys at Whitney LLP have experience fighting back against bad landlords.
Here are reviews from some of our past clients, and here is a link to an article The Baltimore Sun published on an illegal eviction lawsuit our attorneys recently filed. Whitney, LLP’s wrongful eviction lawyers offer legal consultations, and our eviction clients pay no out-of-pocket costs or expenses.
Call (410) 583-8000, or use our Quick Contact Form for help with your illegal eviction claims.
Eviction Laws Protecting Annapolis, MD, Tenants
Maryland law contains a prohibition on nonjudicial evictions. This means that your landlord must go through the court if it wants to evict you from your home. This starts with going to the judge to get a court order to evict you in a process that you can participate in to defend yourself. Then the landlord must schedule the eviction through the sheriff who carries it out.
All the while, you often have the right to stop the eviction until the time when happens by paying your back rent. If the landlord takes matters into its own hands, you should contact an attorney at Whitney, LLP to get help for a wrongful eviction.
Can a Tenant Sue for a Wrongful Eviction in Annapolis, MD?
Yes. Two things give evicted tenants the right to file a lawsuit for a wrongful eviction. The first is the Maryland law that forbids evictions out of court. If the landlord breaks the law, you can seek damages through a lawsuit. The second thing that entitles you to get help for a wrongful eviction is your lease. An illegal lawsuit is actually a breach of your landlord’s obligations under the lease. If it has broken its contract with you, your tenant legal rights for eviction give you the right to file a lawsuit.
Legal Rights for Evicted Tenants in Annapolis, MD
After you search for an illegal eviction lawyer near me and find Whitney, LLP, you can begin the process of asking the court to enforce your tenant legal rights for eviction. The court needs to know why you think that an Annapolis or Pasadena landlord illegally evicted you.
Your attorney will draft a complaint that tells the judge why you are suing the landlord and how much you are seeking. The landlord will get a chance to respond to your complaint. After pretrial motions and a process called discovery, the court will schedule a date for a trial. This assumes that the landlord has not tried to settle your case first.
You can ask for a judge or jury trial. At the conclusion of the trial, the judge or jury will decide whether you will receive compensation for the wrongful eviction.
Damages for Wrongful Evictions in Annapolis, MD
You likely now want to know how much you can receive if you ultimately prevail in your wrongful eviction lawsuit. The answer is that it depends on the amount and the types of your losses. If you needed to pay extra money to find a new place to live, the Annapolis, Crownsville or Severna Park landlord may need to compensate you for that.
The same also goes for any emotional distress that you have suffered. Illegal evictions are humiliating and emotionally debilitating. An experienced illegal eviction lawyer can help put a value on that suffering and make sure that you receive appropriate compensation for the eviction.
Wrongful Eviction Attorney Near Me in Annapolis, MD
Landlords will not simply write you a check when you tell them that they have illegally evicted you and you want compensation. The same greed that caused them to violate your legal rights in the first place will likely prevent them from treating you fairly after a wrongful eviction. This is why you need legal help.
Call the attorneys at Whitney, LLP today at (410) 583-8000, or contact us online to request your free initial consultation, and you can learn how the law protects you. We will not charge you with any out-of-pocket costs or expenses.