My daughter has received a vacate notice because she attempted suicide. Problem is the vacate notice is citing drugs and violent disturbances as the reason but these are false statements. I called the police because I was on the phone with my daughter when she told me she was going to kill herself. They came and had to breatk the door in. Now the apartment landlords are trying to evice her. They've broken several laws. First they've falsified a legal document, and they are discriminating against someone who is mentally ill and no threat to others. Please give some advice as to what type of attorney I should seek for her. When she got out of the psychiatric hospital, she came home to a vacate notice. This is very discriminatory.

Deidra,

First, congrats for helping your daughter. Too many young people dying.

Police breaking in the door is sufficient to give notice to vacate and to be evicted thru court.

I suggest you limit the stress and simply find another place.

Keep an eviction off her record.

Even if you win your atty bill will be thousand$$$ and daughter will be totally stressed out for a long period of time waiting for hearings, depositions, etc.

To be realistic, they do not want nor deserve the responsibility to clean up a suicide.

Spend your time and energy or your daughter, not on battling the property manager and owner.

BRAD

Brad,

I get where you're coming from but part of protecting my daughter is protecting her rental record as well. If she's put out for reasons that are not true, that could affect her for years to come. Truth is she can't just 'find another place' because if future landlords see her history it will be harder to prove then.

If its legal for a landlord to put her out just because a police officer broke her door down to save her life, they would have had no reason to lie on their vacate notice to justify doing it. The police officer's report stated after they got the instrument away she was going to use against herself, she complied with all of their commands and was no harm or threat to anyone except herself. Breaking in to get her out was no different than if she were having an heart attack or asthma attack and happened to be on the phone with me when it was taking place. Same thing. I would have called the police and they would have broken the door in to save her life.

'Deserve to clean up a suicide?'

Cleaning up a heart attack, or any other MEDICAL condition is no different. In her case the bodily organ not functioning at that moment was her brain. But the situation was still medical. And she should not have her records tainted because she has a severe depression.

Yes too many of our kids are dying but things like this are sometimes the thing to send them on over. I am going to fight for her, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, financially, and yes legally. And I will win.

I had tenants in an apartment complex with a child with special needs. He was/is a fire starter. I tried to get help but no agency, attorney, city department would help. I installed a secret video system, besides the normal one I have and recorded the child taking his parents matches and trying to the common hallway carpeting on fire, several times. Again, no one cared.

I then installed a fire sprinkler system to help save lives after this child has success burning down my building.

One day my sprinkler system went off and put out a hallway fire. Review of the video showed the kid setting the carpet on fire. This time with lighter fluid that someone left outside when starting a BBQ.

So I have to give our notices to tenants. No BBQ. No matches. Supervise your children.

As a result I tried to evict the fire starter and his family. I was labeled as a landlord who was doing a wrong full eviction against someone with special needs. No one cared about the lives of my 48 other tenants in the building. Only the right for a parent to allow their child to freedom to access matches and set fires.

I got fed up and placed the child under arrest. I called the police and pressed charges. With still pictures in hand (Kodak Instamatic camera), the police finally did something -- to the child to the police station. THe child had burned some fingers and now the police were looking into child abuse by parents. Not anything about setting my building on fire.

I have told you this little story about issues I had back in 1998. Why because everyone did nothing and now this child has taken lives via burning houses down. He was released when he turned 18 and then shot a fellow gang member. His parents don't know what happened because they never though it was their responsibility to police their child. When i tried to hold this family liable, I got threats that I was breaking some law -- I should allow the kid to be a kid and burn my building down.

People with mental illness sometimes only hurt themselves while others try to take other with them......

A notice to vacate on month to month lease is not an eviction. That's the NEXT step if she doesn't go.

If she leaves without going through the eviction process, it is not on her record. If she forces them to take her to court, it will be.

Having the police break down the door of my property would be enough for me to ask your daughter to leave. I have had two tenants commit suicide on my properties and I don't want another. Drugs in both cases were involved.

Deidre, you should seek advice from an attorney who specializes in defending tenants who create violent disturbances (your description of the event is just that) against landlords who don't want this type of drama and damage in their lives. But you knew that, didn't you?

My best advice to you is to move your daughter, who obviously should not be left unsupervised, in with you. No need to reply here if you feel that for some reason you will not do that.

Maybe it's a good idea to talk about a Group Home for your daughter while she is in a hospital.

My friend is working in a group home. It is one or two people per room, a person who is responsible for giving the medications, etc.

One person was attempting suicide, the other mentally fine, but obese and need help.

From the street the house is looking like standard house in a residential neighborhood.

Deidra,

First, I'm glad you got to initially help your daughter.

But, your pain may be blinding you from your stated objective of keeping your daughter from being 'wronged' vs her mental health and safety.

Your daughters long term care and safety. I have a special needs daughter and sister.

Let's look at where you are NOW! There is no eviction on her record, NOW and won't be if she complies with the notice to vacate.

You have the power to keep this potential eviction off of her record and save all concerned $$ and untold stress.

Even if you do win a legal battle, is that REALLY the objective? Does that REALLY help your daughter?

I would bring my family member to my home where I think am the best choice to help them and keep them safe.

Diedre, I am sorry about your daughter. But the people above are right:

1) She will have no bad record if you move her. Once she is gone the LL has no reason to evict or leave any court record to find.

2) At this point it is too early to find her any other place to be on her own. She needs to know she is loved and worthy. She needs companionship. She needs counseling. She cannot be left on her own in a new apartment.

Police were called to the unit and there's a report. Sorry, but I'd be sending her a notice to vacate too.

Plenty,

Her landlords gave her a vacate notice for violations that didn't occur. I called the police because she wanted to take her life and said that to me on the phone. The police came, broke the door down and took her to a mental hospital for treatment. In their vacate notice, they put a bunch of lies. They said they received complaints and the police 'had to be called', they also lied and said she was using drugs and criminal activity. I would probably let it go if the only reason was because the police broke the door down. Even that, legally is not justified because it was for a medical reason, but I would let it go if that were the only reason.

But I will not have it on my daughter's record that my she used drugs when she didn't, or that she caused violent disturbances when she didn't. Both the police and doctors reports match what I am saying. The landlords created another story to justify throwing her out. If they had simply put the truth on the vacate notice, I probably wouldn't be on this page seeking advice. I hope this makes it more clear

Again, you fail to understand a few things...

1. There will be NO record of any of this if your daughter simply moves out within the time period this notice provides.

2. Is your daughter an adult? Is she the only one on the lease or are you also included? If she is an adult and you are not on the lease it is quite likely you have no legal stand to sue anyone.

3. Do you live with your daughter? If not then you do not know if there is a history of complaints of previous drug use and criminal activity.

Focus your energies where they should be which is getting your daughter healthy again.

As above: the vacate notice is not public record. An eviction will be.

Protect your daughter from herself, not from the landlord who is only trying to reclaim their damaged property.

I want to thank everyone here who gave sound advice. I expected there to be alot of judgement because this type of situation usually brings more judgement than understanding. There was only one ignorant post out of about 15-20 so I'm really thankful as most people sounded genuinely concerned.

I've never faced a situation like this. My child grew up in a home full of love and support but she loves to help people and sometimes trusts the wrong people. In this case it is a bad choice of relationship that led to her demise. Your advise regarding group homes, and support are well received. Someone suggested I have her move back in with me and while that is my first choice, it is not hers. She feels like she failed and wants to be independent and no matter how much I tell her otherwise, she wants to try to live on her own. And she is only 21 but legally I cant make her live with me. I can only try to guide her the right direction. So to answer everyone I am committed to giving her the support she needs no matter what that takes. Whether in a group home, longer hospital stay, or whatever. I just want to help her in every way I can.

Oh Deidre, give it a break. America has had enough of folks labeling those who hold opinions different from their own as "ignorant". That's the main reason we have elected a guy to the White House that most dont approve of.

It suprises us not even a little that there is a reason that the obvious solution, that is to have your daughter move in with you can't occcur. "She won't allow it"

But, this independant daughter of yours will allow you to hire an attorney (don't forget to hire one who specializes in defending tenants who cause violent and damage to their apartments) to sue her landlord in her name?

An attempted suicide, with a weapon, the police being called, breaking down the door is a violent disturbance, that the landlord, the neighbors, pretty much everyone involved does not want to be involved with. It is understandable, but you are completely blind to this FACT. Whether drugs were involved is netither here nor there. At this point, the landlord just wants her out. If she moves out, this will settle down. If you go to battle, it WILL become a matter of public record, win or lose. You prefer to argue with strangers on the internet than take effective, loving action to help your daughter. Says a lot about you. Many on here have given you essentially the same advice. Consider following it.

Your self-righteous attitude is not helpful either.

I wish the best for your daughter.

What does a "bad choice in relationships" have to do with this? I took this to mean that there is someone else in the picture and that this person somehow played a part in what happened.

Dierdre, all you need to do is to contact the landlord and negotiate to leave without a black mark. It sounds like all your daughter has at this point is a notice to move out. If she doesn't move, then the eviction starts and only at that point does anything go onto her record at all.

Talk to the landlord, He will be happy to stop the eviction if you move her put very soon without putting up a fight about it.

By the way, if this "bad relationship" involves someone moving into her apartment, then you must get him out also or the eviction will go forward. The apartment isn't given back to the landlord until it is empty with everybody and all belongings out and the keys returned to the landlord.

In Pennsylvania, attempting to take your life can result in a criminal charge. can't remember what the charge is and I don't know what type circumstances trigger this.

as everyone else said, who cares what the landlord says in her notice ...true or not. even if they truly are slandering her who cares ... it's in the landlord's internal records and no where else.

Again, in Pennsylvania, anyone can find out what happened to her up to the point of the ambulance showing up under our Rights to Know laws.

You both have more important things to deal with.

Hi Pmh,

Thanks for your advice. The problem is the short window we are given. They want her out by the 31st. She got the notice on the 26th. Right after that our area got flooded and we can't move or even drive anywhere. Even if everything cleared up today, there's no way I can organize movers for her by this Thursday. I need at least a couple of weeks. So that's where we're at now. But thanks again.

Pmh,

Deidre,

I realize you are upset and anxious. I don't know how I would react in the same circumstances.

Major life changes are usually met with resistance as parties cling to the past or their own agendas and refuse to acknowledge the truth of what is happening. I liken it to the angst of the decision to "move Mom into a nursing home". Nobody wants to do it but sometimes it's the best thing for Mom.

Same when I ask a res to leave and find a home he can afford.

Love means to set your pride aside and do what's best for her alone, even the hard stuff. She needs your full attention.

Side note: unless you are on the lease the property manager cannot discuss your daughter's situation with you, and you cannot sue them because you are not a party to the situation.

Management is doing her a favor with a letter rather than eviction. Thank them and move on.

I'll pray for you and our daughter. Please tell us when you work something out for her.