Cases Of Potentially Illegal Evictions Rise In Tulsa

Some people in Tulsa say they are being illegally evicted, even though evictions are supposed to be on hold right now.

Eviction cases won't be heard until at least May 18th.

There are countless landlords who are following the rules, but city leaders say there are others who are taking things into their own hands during this outbreak.

As many recently furloughed or laid-off employees in Tulsa struggle to pay rent, city leaders say some landlords are illegally evicting people from their apartments and homes.

Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma says they've been swamped with calls for help this month.

"Without being able to access the courts, a lot of landlords are turning to self-help to get tenants out of their units," Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma Housing Advocacy Coordinator Eric Hallett said.

Hallett says they've gotten calls that some people have even been locked out of their units.

But with so many people staying at home, Hallett says there are landlords who are cutting off utilities as a way to get people out.

Both are illegal while court eviction hearings are on hold.

"We have seen a huge increase. This week it was twice what it was last week, and last week we saw more than we usually get in a month," Hallett said.

Tulsa's housing policy director tells me the number of people calling 211, saying they need help, has gone up significantly.

She says the calls for rent payment assistance are up 923 percent for eastern Oklahoma.

The calls were up 1,100 percent for landlord/tenant assistance.

Hallett says it's a tough time for renters, but also for landlords trying to support their own families.

"Not only is this pandemic financially impacting tenants, but when tenants can't pay their rent, it financially impacts landlords as well," Hallett said.

Legal experts say they're expecting a flood of evictions and issues when eviction hearings start again next month. If you need legal help, you can call 211.