Can former employer/landlord evict me? ........................... PLEASE NO DUMB ANSWERS THIS IS VERY SERIOUS?

I used to work for an apartment complex. 6 months into my employment, I moved into an apartment on the property. I have a $350 a month discount and the lease ends in April.

I quit my job about 5 months after moving in. When I quit, I asked for a copy of my employee paperwork (where there may have been some agreement aout the discontinuation of my discount) and they refused. So, I continued to live in my apartment at the rate stated in my lease.

A few days before rent was due I got a notice to raise my rent. I refused to pay the increase because they would not show me in writing how this was possible. They just ordered me to sign a new lease. Now i have to go to eviction court this week and they are charging me all kind of reletting fees. They did not give me an option to leave willingly with out penalty. Can they do that?

Also, my actual lease has no mention of employee-employer realtionship. It merely says the rent is discounted.

Also, they are holding my final paycheck. Because of the nature of my departure from the company, I have reason to belive they are being "dirty". Is it fair for them to not show me the paperwork until the hearing?

Please give me any advice or opinion to help me prepare for my hearing.

If your lease doesn't state that your employment with them is necessary to continue the discount, then they can't revoke it while the lease is in force.

In order to evict you, they will have to be able to demonstrate to the judge that you violated the terms of the lease. If your lease is in force and you're abiding by the terms of it, you should be in good shape.

Now, an employer can withhold part or all of your last paycheck if you owe them money. That is something you should contact your state labor board about.

In fact, that could work to your advantage. If the state labor board rules against your former employers before the eviction hearing, you can tell that to the judge, and this will lend credence to your position that the apartment complex is exacting some kind of retribution on you that is against both employment and housing laws.

Take all your paperwork, you lease, to court and show the courts what your legally bound to. I would file a counter claim for your check and sue them for court costs as well.

Good luck!

I did not sign a lease where I live so I do not know for sure about leases. Your Landlord most likely raised the rent because of how bad our economy is right now.I thought you were going to say that your lease was up and he evicted you because of that, which does happen sometimes. If I were you I would just move out and get my deposit back instead of fighting about it in court, its just more cost and headaches for you. As your landlord he probably can legally raise the price of your rent. In the past year my rent has gone from 565 a month to 585 a month but I live in a condo the size of a house in a very nice neighborhood so I really don't mind paying more. But if your Landlord is a slum lord I wouldn't even bother fighting in court because if he is sleazy he will get away with it and only cost you more money and trouble in the end.

Yes, they can evict you - the discount was plainly part of the employee contract which you terminated.

They're not required to disclose the evidence to you prior to the hearing, but you can request a short adjournment to look for the evidence that you think will help you.

I don't think it WILL help you, by the way - they clearly have the right to either restore your rent to the original amount or evict you for non-payment. They even have a right to evict you for terminating the employment contract.