Nuts and Bolts of Landlord Tenant Litigation

The COVID-19 pandemic is predicted to dramatically increase the number of tenants being evicted from their homes. Because most states ban arbitration clauses in residential leases and also provide for fee-shifting, this area of consumer law provides a unique opportunity to grow your practice and do a lot of good. This is a beginner-level webinar, so no prior knowledge is needed.

What You Will Learn

• What the key issues are: eviction process, illegal fees, habitability issues, and security deposit issues
• What you need to know to bring your case: necessary documents, expert witnesses, etc.
• What the interplay is of tenants’ rights issues with the FDCPA, FCRA, and UDAP statutes

Speakers

Matt Vocci is a partner at Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC. The majority of his work relates in some way to housing. He represents tenants against landlords and property managers on a variety of cases, such as consumer protection and consumer debt collection issues, habitability, Fair Housing Act violations, illegal evictions, and personal injuries. Matt has served as class counsel on several class actions, including a recent case that resolved favorably for tenants against a large, out-of-state property management company. He is a member of the MSBA’s Delivery of Legal Services Committee Council and the ACLU of Maryland Committee on Litigation and Legal Priorities. Matt deeply believes in Santoni, Vocci & Ortega’s mission to provide high-quality legal representation to low-income Marylanders. He graduated cum laude from Temple University, Beasley School of Law in 2006.

Chelsea Ortega is a partner in the law firm of Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC. She regularly defends consumers and brings affirmative claims for violations of Maryland’s consumer protection statutes and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act in debt collection cases, including landlord/tenant cases, automobile deficiencies, and predatory loans. Her practice also focuses on issues involving tenants’ rights, representing tenants who have been illegally locked out of their homes or lived in uninhabitable conditions. Chelsea has brought and settled several class action cases against large property management companies, debt collectors, and auto finance companies. As part of her practice, she also assists the injured in their personal injury cases. Chelsea graduated cum laude from the University of Maryland School of Law.