In this issue: "You Have the Right to Be Free From Violence"; NJ Landlord-Tenant Mediation Program; October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month; 2020 NNJLS Pro Bono Celebration; NNJLS Staff Spotlight; and more. 

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Estamos aquí para ayudar.

(201) 792-6363 / NNJLS@LSNJ.org

Landlord-Tenant

Mediation Program

Authored by Lawrence (“Larry”) Sindoni, Esq. – Managing Attorney, NNJLS Housing Law Unit

On July 28, 2020, the New Jersey Courts published Directive 20-20 that established a virtual mediation program for landlord/tenant eviction cases. Landlord/tenant mediations will be conducted by either video or telephone; no in-person mediation sessions will occur. The Court also made changes to the eviction papers tenants will receive and will include new notices regarding the mediation program and available resources.

What Tenants Will Receive If Their Landlord Files

an Eviction Case During COVID-19

Tenants receiving eviction papers should receive the following documents:

• Summons and Complaint - These are the papers notifying you that the landlord has filed an eviction case. The Summons will NOT list a court date because eviction trials are suspended due to COVID-19. The complaint will list the reasons for the eviction (most likely nonpayment of rent).
• Tenant Notice - explains that a remote pre-trial settlement conference (mediation) will be scheduled and asks the tenant to contact the court.
• Landlord-Tenant Information Sheet - provides landlords and tenants with information on where they can seek help, including financial assistance, provides information on the suspension of cases, and the use of security deposits during COVID-19. It also provides information on legal and other assistance.
• Initial Contact Notice - informs the tenant to contact the court by email or telephone. It notes that a trial has NOT been scheduled and it requests the tenant participate in mediation.
• Pretrial/Settlement Conference Scheduling Notice - this document informs the tenant that a virtual mediation session has been scheduled, it provides the date and also indicates how it will occur (via Video or Telephone). Mediation will NOT be conducted in-person.
• Pretrial Settlement/Conference Information Sheet - notifies the tenant that mediation is voluntary. It explains that “you do not have to settle your case” but if you do settle you understand the terms, especially if you have agreed to a judgment of possession (an eviction).

What Tenants Should Do

Tenants who receive eviction papers or mediation papers should immediately contact an attorney to determine their best options. Tenants experiencing poverty and residing in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties may contact Northeast New Jersey Legal Services at (201) 792-6363 or NNJLS@LSNJ.org.  

Remember, mediation is voluntary and you do not have to settle the case. Cases that do not settle will eventually be scheduled for trial in the future. Even if you do settle the case and agree to vacate, lockouts for residential tenants remain suspended until at least the end of December 2020 (although this date may change).

Programa de Mediación entre Propietarios-Inquilinos

Escrito por Lawrence ("Larry") Sindoni, Esq. - Abogado Gerente, Unidad de Derecho de Vivienda de NNJLS

El 28 de julio de 2020, los Tribunales de Nueva Jersey publicaron la Directiva 20-20 que estableció un programa de mediación virtual para casos de desalojo de propietarios /inquilinos.  Las mediaciones entre propietarios/inquilinos se llevarán a cabo por video o por teléfono; no habrá sesiones de mediación en persona.  El Tribunal también hizo cambios en los documentos de desalojo que recibirán los inquilinos y incluirá nuevos avisos sobre el programa de mediación y los recursos disponibles.

Qué Recibirán los Inquilinos si su Propietario Presenta un Caso de Desalojo Durante el COVID-19

Los inquilinos que reciban documentos de desalojo deben recibir los siguientes documentos:

• Citación y Demanda - Estos son los documentos que le notifican que el propietario ha presentado un caso de desalojo. La citación NO incluirá una fecha de corte porque los juicios de desalojo están suspendidos debido a COVID-19. La demanda enumerará las razones del desalojo (lo más probable por no pago de renta).
• Aviso al Inquilino - explica que se programará un juicio para una reunión de conciliación previa (mediación) remota y le pedira al inquilino que se comunique con el tribunal.
• Hoja de Información del Propietario y Inquilino proporciona a los propietarios y inquilinos información sobre dónde pueden buscar ayuda, incluyendo asistencia financiera, proporciona información sobre la suspensión de casos y el uso de depósitos de seguridad durante el COVID-19. También proporciona información sobre asistencia jurídica y de otro tipo.
• Aviso de Contacto Inicial - informa al inquilino que se comunique con el tribunal por correo electrónico o por teléfono. Señala que NO se ha programado un juicio y solicita que el inquilino participe en la mediación.
• Aviso de Programación de la Conferencia Previa al Juicio/conciliación - este documento informa al inquilino que se ha programado una sesión de mediación virtual, proporciona la fecha y también indica cómo ocurrirá (por video o teléfono). La mediación NO se llevará a cabo en persona.
• Hoja de Información sobre la Conferencia Previa al Juicio/Conciliación - notifica al inquilino que la mediación es voluntaria. Explica que “no tiene que llegar a un acuerdo en su caso”, pero si lo hace, comprende los términos, especialmente si ha aceptado una sentencia de posesión (un desalojo).

Lo Que los Inquilinos Deben Hacer

Los inquilinos que reciban documentos de desalojo o de mediación deben comunicarse de inmediato con un abogado para determinar sus mejores opciones. Los inquilinos en situación de pobreza y que residen en los condados de Bergen, Hudson y Passaic pueden comunicarse con los Servicios Legales del Noreste de Nueva Jersey (Northeast New Jersey Legal Services) al (201) 792-6363 o NNJLS@LSNJ.org.

Recuerde, la mediación es voluntaria y no tiene que resolver el caso. Los casos que no se resuelvan finalmente se programarán para juicio en el futuro. Incluso si resuelve el caso y acepta desalojar, los desalojos para inquilinos residenciales permanecerán suspendidos hasta al menos fines de diciembre de 2020 (aunque esta fecha puede cambiar).

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Authored by Arthur Guess, Esq., and Michael Fostek, Esq.,

NNJLS Domestic Violence Representation Project Staff Attorneys

At a virtual town hall on April 22, 2020, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal provided statistics showing a decrease in the reporting of domestic incidents and arrests. At a quick glance lower numbers seem positive, but in reality, the decrease in reporting and arrests is one of the many negative effects of COVID-19.

State and local services and resources that were easily accessible to persons experiencing domestic violence and survivors of domestic violence prior to COVID-19 are now scarce and severely limited due to reduced staffing and health regulations that restrict business operations. Non-profit organizations designed to provide essential assistance to survivors of domestic violence have experienced decreased funding due to the pandemic because their funding sources are mostly private donors, who are now cash-strapped, and the state government, which is overwhelmed with trying to process skyrocketing unemployment claims.

Access to the courts has also changed significantly. Before the pandemic, persons experiencing domestic violence could go to the courthouse to apply for Temporary Restraining Orders (TRO) in person and have trials in a courtroom in front of a judge. At the beginning of the pandemic, survivors of domestic violence had to go to the police precinct to obtain restraining orders because the courts were physically closed. Today, survivors can obtain temporary restraining orders in the courthouses; however, the majority of court functions including hearings for final restraining orders are conducted via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This is less than ideal for a survivor of domestic violence trying to secure a Final Restraining Order (FRO), despite valiant efforts by the New Jersey Supreme Court to maintain pre COVID-19 levels of service and efficiency.

In homes across the state, tensions are high because parents are either working remotely and not leaving the home, or losing their jobs and having to wait several weeks to receive unemployment. Schools either are closed or have children attending part-time, which creates an unexpected need for expensive childcare, and cuts off access to mandatory reporters who routinely discover signs of physical abuse. Stressed landlords are pressuring tenants to pay rent that they do not have, and bills are piling up.

On June 9, 2020, Governor Murphy lifted the stay-at-home order and the state is slowly re-opening. But with a less than perfect return to business as usual, the new normal continues to present insurmountable challenges for domestic violence survivors. If you or anyone you know is currently experiencing and/or is a survivor of domestic violence, please contact Northeast New Jersey Legal Services at (201) 792-6363, NNJLS@LSNJ.org, or https://www.northeastnjlegalservices.org/contactus. To learn more about the NNJLS Domestic Violence Representation Project, please click here.

Sources:

Nonprofits Face Bleak Future as Revenue Dries Up Amid Coronavirus, The Wall Street Journal. Published May 11, 2020. Access online by clicking here. 

October: A Month Celebrating All Things Pro Bono

As we pivoted to remote work, we conducted virtual trainings for pro bono attorneys on topics such as “Domestic Violence in the Time of COVID-19,” “Bankruptcy Basics,” and “Landlord-Tenant Mediations” to build a cohort of volunteers prepared to meet increased demand from our communities, and we hosted two virtual clinics inviting immigration clients and pro bono attorneys to work together on naturalization applications before a critical October deadline. And there’s still so much work to be done.

The Pro Bono Partnerships Project at NNJLS was developed because of our belief that the pro bono commitment of our volunteers and the private bar can be—and has been—effective and efficient in accessing justice for the poor. Our pro bono program extends our reach and increases our capacity to serve those who are most in need.

And we are deeply grateful to our volunteers who inspire us each and every day to strive to fulfill our mission. To honor our volunteers and all champions of pro bono, NNJLS is hosting a virtual Pro Bono Celebration on October 27th. Our pre-event cocktail mixing class starts at 4:45pm and celebrations continue at 5:30pm! Lynnette Marrero, an award-winning mixologist, will teach us how to make two cocktails, and she’ll be followed messages from Senator Cory Booker and Mayor Brian P. Stack, and a talk with Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize winner and principal investigator at The Eviction Lab. Attending is free but we’re sending cocktail kits to those who buy tickets or sponsorships.

The pro bono team would love to “meet” you there! You can register using this link: http://www.bit.ly/njprobono2020. Contact Cindy Lou Cuesta, Director of Pro Bono, at ccuesta@lsnj.org or (201) 305-3727.

NNJLS Staff Spotlight:

Cathy McCauley

in little gray filing cabinets, but now computers, client databases, and the Internet run the show. There were no emails. You typed up an office memo and hand-delivered copies." For Cathy, the one thing that has never changed are the needs of our clients. "How we facilitate our services so long as we are able to get the job done, that is really all that matters in the end."

Cathy’s fondest memories of NNJLS are the faces of all her co-workers and the clients who passed through the office during her almost 30 years on the job. At times, there were numerous employees and other times skeletal crews but quality services were always provided to our clients. Cathy writes, “I have been so lucky to have met so many compassionate and hard-working people. Even though at times the job was challenging, what I would say kept me going is knowing where I was going in the morning when I got up and liking the people I worked with.”

Cathy was born in New Jersey, raised in New Jersey, married in New Jersey, and raised a son in New Jersey. She is through and through the definition of a “Jersey Girl." On her down time, when she is not busy trying to keep up with her 94-year-old father, Cathy enjoys growing vegetables for her local pantries at the Community Garden in her town. She is most proud of being married for 33 years (consecutively) and of course of her son, who recently received his PhD in Immunology and is currently working on therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 and certain cancers.

Her advice to new NNJLS staff: “Work hard and your hard work will be appreciated.”

Everyone who has the pleasure of working with Cathy can attest to just how much she is appreciated. Indeed, Cathy is a valued member of the NNJLS family. 

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