Giving Tuesday 2025 is today, December 2nd! Come together and support CDEL in celebration and recognition of all CDEL has accomplished this year. Read about CDEL client Timothy, who lives in Chicago’s Fuller Park neighborhood. His story, like many others, is a powerful example of CDEL’s impact on the lives of our clients.
Timothy faced the risk of homelessness after his landlord demanded that he owed over $28,000 in unpaid rent, which he insisted he did not owe and had never owed. The landlord filed an eviction case against him and six other unrelated tenants in the building, claiming they all lived in the same unit. This is when Timothy found CDEL through the Early Resolution Program (ERP).
CDEL participates in the Cook County Early Resolution Program (ERP), providing free legal advice and negotiation services to self-represented litigants in eviction and consumer debt cases. CDEL's ERP team helps clients reach settlement agreements and avoid harmful judgments. The Early Resolution Program is part of the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt. In cases that cannot settle in ERP and require litigation, CDEL’s Extended representation attorney steps in to advocate.
CDEL’s Extended Representation attorney fought this eviction together with Timothy. CDEL’s attorney went to court and filed a motion to dismiss the case. The judge agreed, ruling that the eviction was not filed properly, as Timothy did not occupy the same household with the other listed tenants, dismissing and sealing the case. This freed Timothy to find new housing without damaging his credit history and ability to rent in the future.
Together with CDEL, Timothy is now able to move on with confidence to better housing without the burden of an eviction record and thousands of dollars he did not owe following him.
The individuals that seek CDEL’s help could not afford to pay an attorney for legal assistance. Help more CDEL clients like Timothy get the legal assistance they deserve.
