JALA’s Aylmar Thompson to receive Florida Registered Paralegal of the Year Award
Aylmar Thompson JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Aylmar Thompson, a paralegal in Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Veterans Services Unit, has been selected
JALA helps woman relocate with her children after harassment from ex-husband
Represented by JALA attorney Michelle Broyles, “Yvette” was awarded sole parental responsibility and 100% timesharing for her four minor children in 2021 in a divorce from her husband, who was allowed supervised visits after being released from jail in California for serious crimes. Now engaged to a man with whom she has a 14-month-old son, she and her partner plan to move to the Washington, DC, area, where her partner was offered a job at a law school, and where they both have family. In the meantime, Yvette’s ex-husband began showing up at the children’s schools and trying to take them with him, as well as watching Yvette’s house and waiting until the kids were home and she was not, then convincing them to let him in and go places with him. Her fiancé moved in, and her ex-husband began showing up with law enforcement officers and demanding the children from him, causing Yvette to have to regularly leave work to handle the situation. She kept a copy of the final judgement from the divorce with her at all times for this reason. The repeated absences from these incidents cost Yvette her job.
‘Cycle of community decline:’ Jacksonville zombie homes could resurge as foreclosures increase
Abandoned homes, sometimes called “zombies”, are infecting local neighborhoods. During the housing recession of 2008, many homes got stuck in foreclosure limbo. In Florida the process can take years and impact surrounding property value if the houses sit abandoned for long. Early forecasts show zombies could come back to life in Jacksonville. North of downtown Jacksonville, Jeanette Williams has seen the problem firsthand. She’s not worried about her house, but the one a few doors down. “It’s been sitting there a long time. It’s been sitting there since I moved in,” Williams said. She was outside with her grandkids on an April afternoon. “That’s what I worry about — them.”
Pajcic & Pajcic Yard Golf breaks $1 million mark
With pledges still coming in, the 10th annual Pajcic & Pajcic Yard Golf Tournament raised more than $174,000 as of April 17, a record single-year donation making a total over the history of the event of more than $1 million for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. In addition to law firm and corporate sponsorships, more than 250 people paid the entry fee for the afternoon of miniature golf and fellowship along the St. Johns River in Avondale. The Pajcics match sponsorships and entry fees to double the support for civil legal aid in Northeast Florida. “Yard golf keeps getting better every year. So many folks mention that they prefer donating to this event, knowing that we match their contributions dollar for dollar. It’s such a great way to have a fun afternoon with friends, while raising money for a most worthy cause,” Steve Pajcic said after the event. Jim Kowalski, president and CEO of JALA, said the contribution makes it possible for the civil legal aid law firm to cover its overhead expenses.
Worker wins DEO appeal hearing with coaching from JALA
After eight years of excellent job performance at a large insurance company, “Jean,” not her real name, had to take six weeks of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) due to a serious medical condition. While she was off from work, her husband walked out on her and their two teenaged girls, which sent Jean into a deep depression that required her to seek counseling. While she was in treatment for depression, she needed more time off, so she requested and received approval for intermittent FMLA leave that started in June 2022. While struggling to get her personal life back on track, Jean was experiencing significant upheaval at work, as the company was engaging in major job restructuring. Her job duties expanded threefold within six months, and she was assigned several different managers during this time. By 2023, she was still taking intermittent FMLA leave for her depression, and her work began to suffer. As a result, she received written warnings and job coaching, which had never happened to her before. After increasing her focus on her job performance, she was shocked when the company terminated her effective Jan. 10, 2024.
Nonprofit law firm looking for ‘fair housing testers’ to find out if there is housing discrimination in Jacksonville
It’s something we don’t hear a lot about when you try to get into housing here in Jacksonville: Have you been discriminated against? Are you discriminated against because of the amount of money you make because of your race because of your sexuality? These are things that Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is trying to change. Affordable housing is a key issue in Jacksonville. There is lots of competition for homes and some apartments. But is it fair competition? News4JAX has been out talking to people looking for housing and asking if they feel their race or other factors are keeping them out of areas, they want to live in. One woman who didn’t want to be identified had plenty to say. “So it is, it depends on where you go in if you’re in, if you try to rent a house and maybe a Mandarin, they won’t rent to people. And if you do, you can’t afford it,” she said.
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid helps landlords and tenants with evictions through new Jacksonville Eviction Diversion Program
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is part of the new Jacksonville Eviction Diversion Program created through a Jan. 31 administrative order signed by Chief Judge Lance M. Day. Through the program, the City of Jacksonville has set aside rental assistance funds for the benefit of landlords and tenants facing eviction. The program operates through a collaboration between the City of Jacksonville, LJD Jewish Family and Community Services, United Way of Northeast Florida, the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, and the Duval County Clerk’s Office. It generally serves residents of Duval County, the Beaches, and the Town of Baldwin who are facing eviction and qualify financially with at least one person in the household that is under the age of 18 or over the age of 65. Other eligibility factors apply.
2024 Fair Housing Symposium
FAIR HOUSING SYMPOSIUM Friday, April 5, 2024 10AM - 1:30PM Ritz Theatre & Museum 829 N. Davis St., Jacksonville, FL Please email: adacoordinator@jaxlegalaid.org or call: 904-356-8371, ext. 400
Freed to Run gives $195,000 to Shelter for Elders
The Freed to Run Challenge, a two-day running event that debuted Nov. 17-18 at the Duval County Courthouse, raised $195,000 to benefit the Shelter for Elders program at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. The contribution supports an endowment that helps provide aid for older adults who have landlord/tenant and other housing-related legal issues but cannot afford to pay an attorney to represent them. The donation, the entry fees and sponsorships each year will be partially matched by the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund through The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. This year’s match is $25,000.
JALA attorney helps local senior settle dispute over defective HVAC unit
“Dorothy,” 84, had a new heating and air conditioning system installed in her Jacksonville home, where she lives alone. Because of improper installation, the unit did not work properly from day one. Dorothy, who had signed a finance agreement for the purchase of the unit, immediately notified the company that the unit was defective and asked them to fix it. Each time they scheduled an appointment with her to fix the unit, they did not show up. She did her best to dispute the charge with the company and with the lender involved in the finance agreement. The air conditioning company tried to push Dorothy into filing a warranty claim instead of fixing the problem.