Walked past the Daley Center and saw a huge line for the small claims help desk

I was downtown yesterday and the line for the free legal aid clinic was out the door and around the block. It was all people trying to get help with landlord stuff or unpaid bills. Honestly, it shows how broken the system is when that many folks can't afford a simple lawyer. Has anyone here actually used that service and gotten real help?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_rodriguez305d ago

Honestly, that line is so rough to see. I had to use a similar clinic when my old landlord tried to keep my whole security deposit for normal wear and tear. The volunteer walked me through writing a demand letter with the exact city ordinance codes. I sent it certified mail and got a check for most of it two weeks later. They won't represent you in court, but they give you the steps to fight for yourself. It was a lifesaver when I was totally lost.

olivia6705d ago

Check out what @emma_rodriguez30 said about the demand letter. That's the real value, they give you the right words and codes to use. But what happens to the people who can't even get in the door because the line is too long? Like someone working two jobs who can't wait four hours on a Tuesday. Do they just get evicted because they couldn't afford to stand in line? The system is a joke.

the_robin5d ago

Yeah, I saw a news story about that clinic last year. They said the volunteers help hundreds of people a week just with eviction papers alone. One guy they talked to had his rent raised by 400 bucks out of nowhere and had no clue what his rights were. The line is crazy because it's the only free option for a lot of people. The whole thing just feels like a band-aid on a much bigger problem.