Unlawful Eviction Landlord Illegally Changed Locks To My Apartment To Lock Me Out

[nicrig2000]

Suffolk County N.Y.
Town of Brookhaven

The landlord changed locks to my apartment
I confirmed with the Landlord/Tenant Court & the Sheriff's Department, that no legal eviction proceedings were filed against me.

I have no idea if my possessions have been disposed of. No notice given 2 me & again, illegal lockout.

Can I have a locksmith come & remove her locks & have new ones installed, so I can get back into my apartment??? I don't know when she changed the lock, as I had been ill & recuperating at a family members home. She illegally did "self-help", I should be able to "self-help" back into my apartment. As what she did was illegal.

Thank you,
Lisa

 

[army judge]

Suffolk County N.Y.
Town of Brookhaven

The landlord changed locks to my apartment
I confirmed with the Landlord/Tenant Court & the Sheriff's Department, that no legal eviction proceedings were filed against me.

I have no idea if my possessions have been disposed of. No notice given 2 me & again, illegal lockout.

Can I have a locksmith come & remove her locks & have new ones installed, so I can get back into my apartment??? I don't know when she changed the lock, as I had been ill & recuperating at a family members home. She illegally did "self-help", I should be able to "self-help" back into my apartment. As what she did was illegal.

Thank you,
Lisa

When people use "self help" remedies, things get complicated and turn sour rapidly.
That said, in this case, IF things are as you say; and you are legally entitled to occupy the premises with a valid lease, see if a locksmith can help you.

If you are behind on your rent, and the landlord believes you abandoned the unit for weeks, months, etc...; when this does get to court, get ready for a bumpy ride.

Read this Nassau-Suffolk Legal Aid article on illegal lockouts and give the agency a call on Tuesday for additional advice.

http://nslawservices.org/wp/?page_id=168


More legal information, and maybe legal aid:

http://www.lifairhousing.org/index.php/eviction

http://www.longislandevictionslawyer.com/top-10-mistakes-long-island-landlords-make/

Engaging in self-help by evicting the tenant on your own is a criminal act in the state of New York, and all landlords should be cautioned never to do this. The only one with the authority to evict a tenant in Nassau or Suffolk County is the County Sheriff acting pursuant to a warrant of eviction issued by a judge. Some landlords make the very serious mistake of changing the locks to keep a tenant out. This is known as an illegal lockout. Sometimes landlords even go so far as to remove a tenant's belongings from the apartment. An act of this magnitude may constitute the criminal act of burglary and can land a landlord in jail. Simply stated, as a landlord, you absolutely must never attempt to take the law into your own hands. Although you may own the apartment and it is your right to sell it, you have no possessory rights in it while you have a tenant. That means it is the tenant's home and, if you enter it unlawfully or do anything to prevent the tenant from accessing it, you will treated by the law in the same manner that the tenant would be treated if he or she did those same things to you. So, at the risk of seeming repetitive, do not attempt to do this, but rather retain a landlord-tenant attorney to evict your tenant the legal way.

 

[mightymoose]

A locksmith may be reluctant to do this for you.
Have you contacted the landlord yet to ask for a key?