Emergency Post-Shutdown Eviction Relief for Federal Workers
On January 22, the D.C. Council passed emergency legislation to give formerly furloughed federal workers and contractors relief from eviction, late fees and foreclosure sales.
The new law allows Judges to stay eviction and foreclosure proceedings against federal workers until thirty (30) days after the government reopens or 90 days after a worker’s last paycheck.
While eviction cases may be initiated and served on federal workers, that is where the case will temporarily stop. It is also important to note that the law does not apply to cases filed before the shutdown began.
Landlords must be aware that since this is emergency legislation it goes into effect immediately, for at least the next 90 days.
To qualify for protection, federal employees must provide a recent pay stub and a copy of the furlough notification to the Judge. Contractors, on the other hand, must provide a signed letter from their employer stating their lay off date, last pay date, and agency contracted with.
The law does not provide relief to non-government employees such as restaurant owners and small business that rely heavily on federal employee customers.
It is also noteworthy that there is additional legislation pending in Congress that would similarly protect furloughed federal workers and may even appropriate federal money towards their financial obligations. It would seem that the Federal Government making the missed or late payments that it caused is a better solution than allocating losses to third parties who have nothing to do with Congress and the President’s inability to govern.
With concerns over another government shutdown looming, it is important that Landlords have a complete understanding about how these emergency laws impact their business. If you have any questions about whether the new law applies to you, I’d be glad to speak about it in greater detail. Feel free to give me a call or use the scheduling tool on my website to book an appointment for a free case evaluation. http://lawrjb.com/appointment-booking