The landlord may at any time ask the judge to order the tenant to pay some or all of the rent due into escrow with the court starting on the date set by the court after a hearing. If the judge orders payment into court and the tenant fails to pay as ordered, the judge will issue an order called a Writ of Possession. This order will give the landlord the right to take possession of the apartment not less than 5 business days (not including weekends and holidays) after the writ is served. Since the tenant has the right to argue against payment into court, this is another reason why the tenant should seek legal advice as soon as s/he receives a summons or other court papers.


Some organizations offer free or low-cost legal advice to low-income Vermonters in certain types of cases. A good place to start is Vermont Legal Aid, at 1-800-889-2047.


Illegal Evictions It is ILLEGAL for the landlord to:


1. TURN OFF the heat, electricity, or other utilities except for temporary interruptions for emergency repairs.


2. PADLOCK OR CHANGE THE LOCK on the door to the apartment (without a court order) so the tenant cannot get in.


3. MOVE THE TENANT’S BELONGINGS out of the apartment without a court order, unless the tenant has abandoned the apartment.


4. CONFISCATE OR DENY A TENANT ACCESS TO HIS OR HER BELONGINGS due to back rent owed or any other reason. (The landlord may, however, require the tenant to pay reasonable moving and storage costs if the landlord has lawfully removed the tenant’s property.)


Remedies for Illegal Evictions If the landlord has done any of the above, the tenant should:


1. Notify local and/or state police at once that the landlord has committed an illegal eviction.


44


On Your Own, 2008 Edition


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