“James,” 70, had helped raise “Cole” since he was born in 2007. A veteran living primarily off his Social Security income, he had known Cole’s mother for almost two decades and had allowed her and Cole to live in his home even though they were not related. She and Cole had been abandoned by Cole’s father, and James had become a role model and source of stability in the young boy’s life.
Rahmaal Fisher, 44, had been a longshoreman at Jacksonville’s port since he was 16, but after serving time in prison, he was barred from the job he loved because the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would not issue him the required Transportation Worker Identification Card, or TWIC. “Once I got sentenced to prison, I thought I had it arranged to where it wouldn’t affect my port pass,” Fisher said. “Once I got released, I saw that it had affected it. Because I applied with TSA for the TWIC pass, and they denied it. So, I had to apply again, and they denied it again.”
“Shameka,” a single mother of three young children, had been a tenant in her subsidized housing unit for over two years when her apartment’s air conditioner developed a problem that caused a build-up of moisture and a consequent mold infestation. Shameka’s 2-year-old twins suffer from disabling bronchial asthma, which the conditions in the apartment were exacerbating, causing potentially life-threatening symptoms.
“Roberta,” a grandmother living in subsidized housing, lived in fear for her life and that of her loved ones after bullets from random, drive-by shootings had twice gone through her house, the second time severely injuring a visiting relative who subsequently had to undergo multiple surgeries. Roberta was diagnosed with severe anxiety after these two incidents. When she tried to break her lease so that she and her grandchildren could move to a safer home, the local public housing authority denied her a new housing voucher because her landlord claimed she owed more than $1,400, an allegation Roberta disputed.
“Theo” turned to Jacksonville Area Legal Aid for assistance in obtaining reasonable accommodations due to his disabilities. He had been living in the same apartment complex for 28 years and was previously accommodated by the property management with an accessible parking space. However, after the property management repaved and repainted the parking lot in the apartment complex, his accessible parking space was removed and not replaced. In addition, although Theo had been provided with a ramp to his unit, the property management had never installed grab bars or railings as promised.
“Rashida,” who receives a voucher to help with her rent, nonetheless fell behind on her payments when her employer cut her hours because of the coronavirus pandemic. Her landlord then sued to evict her, ignoring provisions of the CARES Act that protect tenants with HUD vouchers whose income was affected by the pandemic.
“Eunice,” who is 76 and deaf, had been living in the same apartment for more than a decade without any problem, paying her rent on time and keeping to herself. Her only visitors are her children and grandchildren, who stop by to check on her. One day, Eunice received a notice from her landlord claiming that her grandson was living with her as an unauthorized occupant of the apartment.
“Ariana,” was having problems with her neighbors in a public housing apartment complex. They had been harassing her ever since she reported them to management for using a fake parking pass and blocking other vehicles. During one of these incidents, her neighbor flashed a gun at her and threatened her. She called the police and filed for an injunction, not knowing what else to do. Her neighbor tried to turn the tables on her and told management that Ariana was the one who had threatened violence.
My client, who is deaf, was jumped by a group of men while walking home from work. Two days later his apartment was burglarized. The case caught my attention after it was reported by Vic Micolucci at News 4 Jax. It was especially interesting to me because the victim (and my client to be) was a cook at a local restaurant in the Lakewood area where I am a fairly frequent diner. My client’s apartment complex made some temporary repairs to correct the damage from the break in, but not enough to make much of a difference. There were also serious problems due to roaches and rats and there had been a major water leak that was causing serious mold issues. It was a bad situation and my client wanted to find a new place to live without having to worry about an eviction on his record.
Susan E.Mack has practiced law for 37 years as a senior corporate counsel and general counsel in the area of insurance and reinsurance transactions. Currently partner and pro bono coordinator at the firm Adams and Reese, Mack has demonstrated a strong commitment to pro bono service.
