“I thought the paper meant I had to be out by Friday. Gisela explained in Spanish that it was a notice, not a court order, and showed me the date that mattered. I stopped panicking and started gathering my receipts.”
Teresita M.Tenant
Queens, in English and Spanish
Worried about your home? Find out
if we can help.
Pick the line that sounds like you. You will see what usually happens next, what we do about it, and how to reach a lawyer in English or Spanish.
Which one sounds like you?
What happens to my…
What happens to my home, my kids, my car?
Six worries we hear on a first call, each with a plain answer. Every case is different, so treat these as a starting point.
My home
A notice is not an order to leave. In most places a landlord needs a judge's order first, and there are dates in between. We read your papers and tell you which dates are yours.
About evictionsMy children
Moving mid-year is hard on a child. We ask for time to find a new place, and we push back when a landlord turns a family away or ignores something unsafe.
Families and fair housingMy car and keys
Locked out, towed from the building's lot, or your things left outside? A landlord generally can't keep or throw out what is yours. We write the letter that asks for it back.
Lockouts and belongingsMy deposit
Money held after you move out stays yours unless the landlord can show what it covers. We send the demand letter and, if that fails, we file.
About depositsMy record
A court case can show up on your next application. Where we can, we settle early so there's no judgment to explain.
How a case goesMy rental home
Own a two-family house, or rent out a floor? A tenant who stops paying is a worry too. We help owners with notices, hearings and leases.
For owners
Before you call
What callers want to know first
Do you only help tenants?
We help tenants, and we help owners, in separate cases. Gisela and Marzena work with tenants; Rafiq works with owners. We never take both sides of one dispute, and each side's file stays with its own lawyer.
Can I talk to someone in Spanish?
Yes. Gisela Paucar speaks Spanish and takes Spanish-language calls and meetings herself. For other languages, we bring in an interpreter by phone.
What should I have ready?
Every paper you have received, the lease if you have one, rent receipts or bank records, and any texts with your landlord. A photo from your phone is fine. We will tell you how to get copies to us.
What does it cost?
You don't owe anything for sending your question. If we can take the case, we give you our fee in writing before you decide to hire us.
The first conversation
Bring the paper. We'll read it with you.
The first call is mostly us reading and you telling it your own way. Nobody expects you to know the legal words.
We read first
The notice, the lease and any court papers, before we say anything about your case.
We say what usually happens
Which dates matter, what the other side has to show, and what your choices are.
You make the call
Whether to hire us, with the plan and the fee in writing.
In their words
What clients said afterward
“I rent the upstairs of my house. When my tenant stopped paying I didn't know what a notice had to say. Rafiq walked me through each step and wrote it all down so I could follow along.”
Dennis K.Owner
“My deposit had been gone for months. Marzena wrote one letter, and the landlord answered within the week with a list of what he said it covered.”
Vinicio T.Tenant
Each client's case is different. These are sample reviews, and what happened for one person doesn't predict your result.
Not sure it's your kind of problem? Tell us in your own words.
A few lines are enough to start. We will ask for the papers when we talk.
Please don't include confidential details until we've talked.