Evicted with Lease

(WSVN) - For years she was homeless. Then she was able to get a job, a car and rent an apartment for her family. But now her landlord wants her to move out even though she has a lease because he has a buyer for the property. Can he do that to her? It’s why she called Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.

Being homeless is horrible…

Nicara Scutching, has valid lease: “Nobody knows how hard it really is to go through that.”

Hard to go through and impossible to ever forget.

Nicara Scutching: “I don’t like to even talk about it. For about two years, living in our car, living in peoples’ houses.”

When Nicara lost her job, she couldn’t pay the monthly rent. She and her three young sons were evicted and began her lives on the streets.

Nicara Scutching: “It damaged them … it damaged me.”

Eventually, her sons were able to go live with their father, but Nicara was out of luck.

Nicara Scutching: “I asked to go to shelters … I was turned away because they were too full.”

Then, she got a job, and last October found a landlord who knew about her eviction, but was willing to let her rent one of his apartments.

Nicara Scutching: “It’s the best thing that could have happened to us. So things are coming into place, I am finally feeling like I can breathe.”

Then, all of a sudden…

Nicara Scutching: “The air was just snatched right from me.”

Nicara’s landlord told her he had sold the property, and she had to be out by the end of April.

Nicara Scutching: “The lease says that I am liable to stay here until Oct. 31, 2018. I didn’t break no rules, so why is he doing this to me?”

Nicara says with that eviction on her record, it’ll be hard to find a landlord who will rent to her.

Nicara Scutching: “It’s horrible because it’s a never-ending story … and I did everything the right way.”

Nicara started to tear up again as she thought about being on the street — homeless again.

Nicara Scutching: “I want to die. I want to die because I don’t know what’s going to happen to us now. If nobody rents to me, what are we gonna do?”

Well Howard, Nicara has a lease. Can her landlord still evict her when he sells the property?

Howard Finkelstein, 7News legal expert: “No, he cannot. The lease protects you, unless there is a clause that says otherwise. This lease doesn’t allow an early termination, so Nicara can stay until that lease expires in October.”

I talked to the landlord. He said he really liked Nicara, that she has three wonderful sons, but if the renters aren’t out by end of April, the new buyer has a clause that hits him with a stiff financial penalty.

To help Nicara, he told us if she will move by the end of the month, he will not charge the $1,200 April rent, will return her $1,200 security deposit and add $600 to give her an even $3,000 for her next place…

Nicaira’s response?

Nicara Scutching: “What am I going to do with it when I am on the street? Eventually it’s gonna run out.”

Howard Finkelstein: “And that’s her quandary. What she needs is a home for her boys. Now would be the perfect time to take the money and move, because if she doesn’t, she will have to move in October and won’t have that extra money to pay to move.”

Nicara hopes to find a new apartment quickly to avoid being homeless … again.

Nicara Scutching: “How can I fix this so somebody is willing to rent to me? I need help because I don’t think I can take anymore. I can’t.”

And we are determined to make sure Nicara is not homeless again. She wants to keep her kids in the same school so she is looking for a place in the Coconut Grove, Dadeland, South Miami area. She can afford about $1,200 a month. If you know of something she can rent in that area so she can finally settle down, please let us know.

Saddened by a problem you wanna move away from? Ready for a new lease on life? Deposit it with us. ‘Cause with us, you will feel right at home … less that problem you have.

CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN

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