Friends are meant to support you in a crisis, but not everyone has the best intentions. Community member Adriana had just gone through some domestic challenges and was looking for a place to live when her friend of 9 years offered her an apartment in the property she owned. Adriana, desperate to find stability not only for herself, but also for her son, agreed. They moved in January 2020. It was smooth sailing, until July 2021 when Adriana had her second son, paired with some issues with her aesthetician business, and suddenly she was no longer able to make rent. Since she was friends with her landlord, who was also a regular client, they made an agreement that Adriana could still live in her apartment while she was awaiting rental assistance vouchers. Unfortunately, her friend didn’t keep her promise.

It started off with the landlord coming to Adriana’s job and pressuring her for rent while getting her lashes done. However, it didn’t stop there. Her landlord swiftly filed for eviction, and then started sending realtors to show the apartment without Adriana’s consent. She also sent lawyers to her home and business to intimidate her with back rent requests, threatened violence, and even called the police on her multiple times. This is when Adriana knew she needed help.

Adriana said her goal working with Beyond was “to keep the eviction off my record, but mostly I just wanted to get out and have a safe space to live.” After she collaborated with Beyond attorneys, not only was her case dismissed and sealed, but the landlord also abandoned the back rent request. “I was shocked that they gave up because they’re very persistent people. I felt a sense of relief and extreme happiness.” Many landlords rely on intimidation tactics to bully tenants into submission, so we are grateful that Adriana knew her rights and reached out to Beyond when she did. Please consider making a gift to support us in taking on more cases like Adriana’s.