Legal Aid urges tenants to show up for court as evictions may rise after storm

Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands told residents at a mayoral briefing that evictions are likely to increase following the winter storm and that tenants improve their chances by attending court and using available legal assistance.

Darchenya Waller, executive director of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, said Davidson County typically sees about 1,000 eviction filings per month and reported that 296 eviction cases were on the docket the day of the briefing. “Show up for court,” Waller said, emphasizing that being present dramatically increases the chance of receiving help.

Waller described how the eviction process typically proceeds — notice from the landlord, possible detainer warrant, and then a court hearing — and advised tenants to document repair requests in writing and to communicate with landlords where possible. She reiterated that unpaid rent can still result in eviction under Tennessee law even when repairs are outstanding.

Waller said the eviction-right-to-counsel program deployed for this period includes about eight attorneys from Legal Aid and partner organizations and highlighted partnerships with the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association and the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center to provide language access and mediation. For immediate help, she provided the program hotline, (833) 837-4663, and the website las.org/evictionhelp.

Mayor and city officials framed the program as one of multiple recovery tools and urged residents who need assistance to register needs through the city’s needs tracker or by calling 211 so the city and nonprofit partners can triage financial and housing assistance.