Greater Hagerstown is among the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in all of Maryland. Located off of I-70 between Frederick and Cumberland, Hagerstown sits at the narrowest part of the state. The city is the home of the minor league baseball Suns, who play in Municipal Stadium, which has also hosted some big concerts over the years.
With the population in the region surging, rental housing options could be stretched. However, Hagerstown, Middletown and Boonsboro landlords always have legal obligations to their tenants. Even if the lease is broken, the landlord cannot take the law into its hands to evict tenants, threaten them, or decrease their utilities without a court order.
If a tenant is evicted without a court order, locked out, locked are changed, or utilities such as gas, electric or hot water are shut off or turned off illegally, you have legal rights and can fight back and recover compensation. Whitney, LLP’s attorneys can help.
You have tenant legal rights for eviction. When those rights have been violated, call the attorneys at Whitney, LLP to get help. Our tenant lawyers help tenants bring claims and file lawsuits after they are wrongfully evicted.
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.
Understanding Eviction Laws in Hagerstown, MD
Tenant legal rights for eviction can be complicated. However, your primary protection is that Maryland landlords cannot evict renters without a court order, including the involvement of a judge and the sheriff. This means that they cannot change the locks or move your possessions out into the street. Even if they have a court order, they need the sheriff present for the eviction. The landlord certainly cannot bully or harass you into leaving the premises. If the landlord has broken any of these rules, contact an attorney at Whitney, LLP to get help for a wrongful eviction.
There are multiple laws that give the tenant the ability to file a lawsuit for a wrongful eviction in Maryland. There is a specific law that allows the tenant to seek damages for illegal evictions and have their attorney’s fees paid by the wrongful landlord.
Your lease is a contract, so if the landlord breaks it, search for an illegal eviction lawyer near me to take legal action.
Legal Rights for Evicted Hagerstown, MD, Tenants
If an illegal eviction happens that you cannot stop beforehand, you have specific legal rights. The first step is often filing a lawsuit to lay out the facts and the legal grounds for your complaint. Filing is just the start of your case, and the coming months could see depositions and discovery (if a settlement cannot be reached) before the court holds a trial. This is when your lawyer can cross-examine the landlord in front of the judge. Eventually, you may recover get a legal judgment on the matter from the court.
Compensation for a Wrongful Eviction in Hagerstown, MD
If you are successful in your lawsuit or settle your claims, you can receive compensation for damages that are generally designed to put you in the same position as if the eviction never happened. Since the illegal eviction has already happened, the landlord will not restore you to your home.
Therefore, the way to make you whole is through compensation for the costs that you incurred due to the eviction. This could include the money that you had to spend to find a new place and any damage to your property that occurred during the eviction. In addition, you could have suffered emotional distress either from the eviction or the landlord’s bullying actions.
Wrongful Eviction Attorney Near Me in Hagerstown, MD
Some landlords act unfairly because they think that they can get away with abusing their tenants. Maryland law puts you on an equal footing to the point where you can file a lawsuit when a landlord violates your rights, threatened you, changed the locks, illegally evicted you, or turned off the utilities.
Call the attorneys at Whitney, LLP at (410) 583-8000 to request your free initial consultation. You will not have to worry about paying any fees or expenses out of pocket.