Illegal and Wrongful Eviction Lawyer Serving Silver Spring

You paid the rent, spoke with management, or were told you had more time. Then the locks changed or your belongings disappeared.

Whitney, LLP represents Silver Spring tenants after wrongful evictions involving apartment owners, property management companies, and private landlords. We review what happened, investigate who was responsible, and pursue compensation when the facts support a claim. Victims of wrongful evictions may be entitled to significant compensation.

You do not need to know which law was violated before contacting us.

Call 410-583-8000 or request a free case evaluation. For accepted wrongful eviction cases, there are no out-of-pocket expenses. Attorney fees and case expenses are paid from the recovery.

Compensation for Tenants Who Lost Their Homes and Belongings

Under Maryland law, a landlord generally must recover possession through a court-issued warrant of restitution executed by a sheriff or constable, unless the tenant has abandoned or surrendered the home. The law also restricts unlawful lockouts and deliberate interruptions of essential services, with limited exceptions.

A wrongful eviction can leave you replacing everyday necessities while paying for somewhere else to stay. It can also mean losing possessions you cannot replace.

Depending on the circumstances and available claims, we may pursue compensation for lost or damaged property, temporary housing and other expenses, financial losses, and emotional distress.

Whitney, LLP’s Maryland results include:

• $225,000 after an eviction proceeded despite payment. Our client paid the balance owed after a rent judgment, but the eviction went ahead weeks later. Some belongings placed outside were stolen or damaged.
• $275,000 after the wrong apartment was emptied. Our client returned from work to find her possessions gone, although her rent was paid and she had received no eviction notices.
• More than $140,000 after an eviction proceeded despite an agreement to stop it.

These are Maryland case results. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Watch Whitney, LLP explain its $275,000 settlement after a landlord emptied the wrong apartment.

Illegal Eviction Situations We Review in Silver Spring

Contact us if you experienced any of the following:

• A lockout while you still occupied the home. Your landlord changed the locks or disabled access without completing the required process.
• Removal from the wrong apartment. The landlord or removal crew cleared your unit instead of the intended property.
• An eviction after payment or cancellation. You paid the amount required to stop the eviction or received an agreement that it would not proceed.
• An early removal. Your possessions were taken before an agreed moving date or before the landlord was legally entitled to take possession.
• Threats or interruptions of essential services. Management deliberately cut off services to force you out.

Tell us whether you were still living there, whether you had returned the keys, and what the landlord said afterward. Those details can matter when management claims that you moved out or abandoned the property.

How Much Notice Is Required Before an Eviction in Silver Spring?

For Silver Spring rentals covered by Montgomery County Code § 29-31A, landlords must provide at least 14 days’ written notice before the sheriff’s scheduled repossession date. This notice follows the court’s issuance of a warrant of restitution. It is separate from an earlier notice to vacate, late-rent notice, or lease-termination notice.

What the Notice Must Include

The notice must identify the tenant, rental property, court case, warrant date, and initial scheduled eviction date. It must also include required statements about repossession, any available right to stop the eviction by paying the required balance, potential loss of belongings, legal-help resources, and the landlord’s contact information.

Montgomery County also requires a written statement directing tenants to the Department of Housing and Community Affairs’ eviction-resource webpage.

How the Notice Must Be Delivered

The landlord must:

• Send the notice by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing.
• Post it on the rental home’s front door and take a date-stamped photograph.
• Send it by email or text if the landlord knows or has the tenant’s email address or cellphone number.

The landlord must also provide DHCA with copies of the full notice and resource statement at least 14 days before the scheduled eviction.

If your eviction already occurred, preserve the notices, envelopes, electronic messages, and photographs you have. Whitney, LLP can compare those records with the eviction timeline and evaluate whether the required procedures were followed.

Rental Licensing May Affect an Eviction Case

A landlord’s failure to obtain a required rental license can affect the ability to pursue a failure-to-pay-rent eviction. If you believe your Silver Spring rental lacked a required license, share any licensing records or county correspondence when requesting a case evaluation.

We can review the property’s licensing history alongside the court records and eviction timeline. Whether a licensing issue supports a claim for compensation depends on the circumstances and available legal claims.

Were You Evicted Without the Required Process?

If you lost access to your home or your belongings were removed, tell us when it happened and what notices you received. Whitney, LLP can review the court records, communications, and circumstances to determine whether you may have a claim. Contact us for a free wrongful eviction case evaluation.

 

What Did Management Tell You Before the Eviction?

Messages exchanged before an eviction can help explain why it should not have happened.

You may have a payment confirmation, an email agreeing to cancel the eviction, or a message giving you a later departure date. A leasing-office employee may have told you the account was corrected while another person continued arranging the removal.

Save the full conversation, including dates, attachments, and the names of the people involved. If you can still access a resident portal, preserve relevant payment records and messages. For phone conversations, write down who you spoke with, when you called, and what was said.

We can compare those records with the court paperwork and the events at the property. If a lawsuit is appropriate, we can also seek information from management and any removal company involved.

Read more about eviction after paying rent in Maryland.

Local Complaints and Eviction Records in Montgomery County

Silver Spring tenants may have contacted a housing agency before losing their homes. Montgomery County’s Office of Landlord-Tenant Affairs handles questions and complaints about many residential rental disputes, including lease issues, charges, and information about the eviction process.

If you filed a complaint, keep the case number, correspondence, and any response from your landlord. A prior complaint does not by itself prove that an eviction was unlawful, but it may help document the history of the dispute.

Documenting What Was Taken and What You Spent

Make a list of missing or damaged belongings while the details are fresh. Include furniture, clothing, electronics, work equipment, household necessities, and possessions with family or personal significance.

Photographs taken before the eviction may show what you owned. Photos afterward may show damage, items left outside, or an apartment that was cleared.

Keep receipts for expenses caused by the eviction, such as temporary lodging, moving, storage, and replacement purchases. If records were discarded with your property, explain that to us. You can still request an evaluation.

A landlord may offer money shortly after the removal. Before signing a release, consider having an attorney review the terms and whether the offer accounts for your losses.

Watch Whitney, LLP’s video, “Landlord Threw Out Your Belongings? Don’t Sign Their Release.”

For a broader explanation of potential claims and compensation, visit our Maryland wrongful eviction lawyer page.

About Our Wrongful Eviction Attorneys

Whitney, LLP is a consumer protection and civil litigation firm based in Towson, representing tenants in Silver Spring and throughout Maryland.

Daniel W. Whitney, Jr. built the firm’s wrongful eviction practice and has filed lawsuits against landlords across Maryland. He works alongside Daniel W. Whitney, Sr. and the firm’s attorneys to investigate unlawful evictions and pursue compensation for tenants.

Consultations and case preparation can be handled remotely, including through Zoom.

Questions From Silver Spring Tenants

Can you review my case if I already complained to the county?

Yes. A county complaint and a civil claim for compensation serve different purposes. Tell us which office you contacted and provide the complaint and any response. We can review those records alongside the eviction timeline to determine how we may be able to help.

What if management says my payment was not in its system?

Send us the payment confirmation, bank record, or receipt, together with any messages acknowledging payment. We need to review the amount, timing, and whether the payment should have stopped the eviction.

Do I need to identify everyone responsible before contacting you?

No. Provide the landlord’s name, the management company, and any information you have about the removal crew. Determining who authorized and carried out the removal can be part of the investigation.

Tell Us About Your Silver Spring Eviction

Our intake staff will ask when you lost access to the home, what happened to your belongings, and what management told you. Have your rental address, timeline, and available records ready.

Once we receive the requested information, an attorney can generally evaluate the matter within about a week, although timing may vary. We will follow up to discuss how we may be able to help and answer your questions.

Call 410-583-8000 or contact Whitney, LLP online for a free wrongful eviction case evaluation.