Jersey City, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/01/2013 -- As a tenant who paid her rent on time each month and was in full compliance with her lease, 85 year old renter Iris was shocked when she received an eviction notice citing that she had unpaid rent and that eviction proceedings had begun. Thinking this must be a simple clerical error Iris called her nephew Sam Negron for help.
Sam helped her straighten out the misunderstanding it was uncovered that the property management company had failed to maintain proper records to reflect her monthly rent of $205. The property management company acknowledged their error, yet their lawyer continued to go onward with eviction proceedings.
“While the property management company admitted their fault, it is further disappointing that a lawyer would continue to participate in an eviction when a tenant is actually owed monies! This is a shining example of negligent legal ethics.” - Iris’s Nephew Sam Negron -
In total it took 4 long months to have this eviction reversed, not to mention the immeasurable amount of worry and grief it caused his 85 year old sick Aunt Iris. It’s very unethical.
“My aunt was so afraid she would return home and be locked out that she threatened to not go to church on Easter Sunday.” Iris’s Nephew Sam Negron spoke on.
Samuel reached out to the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee to file a grievance against the lawyer that continued eviction proceedings even after being presented with proof of payment and the property management’s admitted error in failing to adjust Iris’s rent per HUD regulations. The Supreme Court’s response was this:
“After reviewing your Grievances, I have concluded that the facts stated in your Grievances, even if proven, would not constitute ethical misconduct or incapacity. I, therefore, referred the matter for review by a public member (i.e. non-lawyer) of this Committee. The public member agrees that your Grievance, even if proven, would not constitute ethical misconduct or incapacity. Therefore, our file on this matter has been closed…this declination is not appealable.” (Can you believe this? Isn’t ANYONE responsible for ANYTHING anymore?)
In response to this unethical tragedy and nothing to appeal, Iris’s nephew Sam Negron has created http://www.trustuswerelawyers.com to shed light on this legal injustice in place that allows a lawyer to proceed with an eviction when a tenant is current with their rent. Sam’s goal is to Change the Law so that lawyers are held liable for their unethical behavior of pursuing eviction for a tenant who is current paying their rent. (How could this possibly be “NOT UNETHICAL?”)
Sam Negron, 279 ½ Second St., Jersey City, NJ 07302 (201) 691-8025 (askunclesam@comcast.net)