Eviction Defense Network

Leah and her team are dedicated to helping tenants in an increasingly unfriendly housing market. It is a no frills organization and she is not vindictive so if you want that you'll have to pay for that. Everyone deserves worry free housing especially if they pay their rent. Bad landlord get EDN!

I was facing a lockout from my West Hollywood Rent controlled apartment where I have lived for many years. The lockout was based on a previous unsuccessful eviction in which I unwisely signed away legal rights. The lawyers and paralegals were able to site constitutional issues and a precedent which is followed in Los Angeles courts that stated it was unconstitutional for me to sign away my rights in the previous case. I was allowed to pay my rent and am secure in my home once more. I was charged a very fair rate based on my low income. The attorneys and paralegals who helped me worked many hours to make this happen and treated me with respect and patience in spite of disabilities I have that made it difficult for me to communicate. I owe them a lot and appreciate their dedication.

My landlord tried to evict me last month because I called the Housing Department on him. He filed all kinds of court papers. I was referred to EDN by a friend and they fought to keep me in my apartment. They won the case and now my landlord has to make the repairs. I definitely recommend them to anyone being evicted in LA.

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I, like so many other tenants in my neighborhood, received eviction papers from a slum apartment from a rotten landlord who's good at forcing people out. I had heard that I was under rent control but I didn't really know what that meant. I went to Eviction Defense Network and they were SO HELPFUL!!!! From beginning to end, I received excellent service and my attorney helped me to gather the right evidence and we won in court!! I was able to stay in my apartment and get my landlord to make repairs I had been asking for for years. I do not know what the other reviewer is talking about. I was told EDN operated on a sliding scale and they do. I had a wonderful experience and I would recommend EDN to anyone being evicted.

This organization claims it has no income restrictions, but I was charged top dollar ($1,000) right off the bat, without anyone even reviewing my financial information (which I had brought with me.) I borrowed the money, because there was a clause in my rental agreement stating that the loser in any legal case would pay court costs and attorney fees. I would get it back, right? Wrong! When I returned a couple of days later with the cashier's check made out to EDN, I was asked to sign an agreement, one stipulation of which was that THE EDN RESERVES THE RIGHT TO COLLECT ATTORNEY'S FEES. Well, it was Thursday, and my court date was on Monday, so, under duress, I signed.

It was late in the day, and I was told that no in-house attorneys were available, so I was sent to a local referral (after being given TERRIBLE directions, which left me circling downdown L.A.) With no time to spare, I parked in the building ($25!), and went to meet with the lawyer, who agreed I had a good case. (I later learned just how good: due to the fact that my landlord had continued to accept my rent, he really had NO case!! We probably shouldn't have had to go to court at all-- but then, no one would've got a $1,000 fee, would they?)

Of course, we won the case. The judge did not like the landlord, but, in spite of tossing my attorney many "bones" -- opportunities to go after the L.L -- she DIDN'T. I got no cash award for all the time and trouble the landlord had caused, including all the missed time from work, running around getting unnecessary documentation for the EDN. My attorney advised I could file in small claims court for that -- but she couldn't help me with that.

On top of that, between the attorney's office and the EDN, a $500 rent check, sent to me at the last minute by my landlord when he realized he couldn't accept rent and still file for eviction, DISAPPEARED FROM MY FILE. Yes, they LOST IT! Neither the attorney nor EDN will take responsibility. I was also told I would likely recover the $185 court filing fee, but that has never come through. In addition, I was treated very rudely when I wanted my file back, and made to wait in the office for over four hours -- more time off from work -- while they made copies of the documents.

I would not recommend EDN to anyone.

PROS: If you're desperate, maybe they can help. It might help to NOT be white.
CONS: They seem incompetent at best; sleazy, and possibly racist, at worst.