Housing/Consumer

Legal Aid Service of Broward County (LAS) helps to advance housing justice for the poor for both low-income homeowners and tenants by preventing foreclosures and evictions, increasing and preserving the supply of decent affordable housing; improving existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices; and by expanding and enforcing low-income tenants’ rights. Legal Aid provides legal consultation, advocacy, and representation to both individual clients and tenant groups in the areas of:

• Public and subsidized housing
• Eviction defense
• Illegal lockout or shut-off of utilities by landlords
• Tenant demands for repairs
• Tenant rights when home is not sanitary or safe
• Enforcement of rights for tenants renting from landlords who are in foreclosure
• Enforcement of rights for tenants renting from landlords who are not paying condominium association fees
• Security deposit disputes
• Chapter 7 Bankruptcy if needed to prevent loss of subsidized housing

Intake for the Housing Unit:

For landlord-tenant issues listed above, intake is Monday through Thursday : Walk-ins start at 8:30am and at 2:00pm.

This unit will also take walk-ins Friday afternoons ONLY.. Walk-in clients are seen on a first come, first serve basis, except in when it is deemed necessary to take a client out of order due to the urgency of their legal needs. Appointments are also available.

You MUST bring in all the following documents in order to be seen:

• Photo ID
• Proof of any and all household income including but not limited to ANY Public Benefits being received and/or Child Support payments; Employment; Unemployment Compensation; Social Security, etc.
• Lease
• Resident – alien card
• All notices from the landlord, courts or housing authority (if applicable)

For low-income homeowners, Legal Aid handles the following types of cases:

• Mortgage foreclosures
• Condominium and homeowner association foreclosures
• Construction lien foreclosures
• Foreclosures due to unpaid property taxes
• Mobile home replevin and other non-eviction cases where loss of home is threatened
• Bankruptcies under both Chapter 13 and Chapter 7 if needed to prevent the loss of home

Intake for low-income homeowners faced with foreclosures is conducted according to staff resources. Contact the Administrative Assistant for the Housing/Consumer unit at 954-736-2492 to find out our current intake procedure.

Individuals must have the following information to complete an application for all services:

• Picture Identification
• Proof of Income
• All Documents Relevant to Your Situation

Community Partners and Links to Helpful Websites

Housing Authority Links:

• Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc. “HOPE” – provides services to victims of housing discrimination in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties
• Broward County Housing Authority
• Housing Authority of the City of Fort Lauderdale
• Deerfield Beach Housing Authority
• Housing Authority of the City of Pompano Beach
• Hollywood Housing Authority
• Broward County Official Web Site

Government Links:

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Broward Family Success Administration
• Broward Consumer Affairs Division
• Broward County Housing & Community Development
• Broward County Property Appraiser
• Florida Condominium Ombudsman
• Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations
• President Obama’s Making Homes Affordable Refinancing and Modification Plans
• National Consumer Law Center – Contains information on loan modification programs

Legal Links:

• Fair Housing Law
• Broward Clerk of Courts
• U.S. Courts – General bankruptcy information
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
• Nolo, Your Legal Companion – Bankruptcy and other information
• National Association of Consumer Advocates
• National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys
• National Housing Law Project
• Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Referral
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance – www.ptla.org – Contains links to legal service programs throughout the United States

Other Links:

• Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. – provides loan modification services
• Zillow website for real estate valuations
• Edmunds website for automobile valuations