When $50 Almost Cost a Home

Usually, most landlords uphold their end of the rental bargain. But in a worse situation, there needs to be a way to hold the owner of your rental accountable.

Imagine moving into your new apartment, keys in hand, ready to start fresh. But instead of finding a clean, welcoming space, you're greeted by mouse droppings, a leaky ceiling, and someone else's pool table abandoned in the basement. This was MC's reality.

The Dream vs. The Reality

Most of us expect basic things from a rental home:

• Clean spaces

• Working fixtures

• Safety and comfort

What MC got instead:

• A dirty apartment

• Mouse infestation

• Leaking ceiling

• Broken bathroom fan

• Damaged pantry door

• Previous tenants' junk (including a substantial piece of furniture) in the basement

She did everything right - documented the issues on a property checklist and asked her landlord to fix them. But her requests were met with silence.

When $50 Becomes a Crisis

After countless ignored pleas for repairs, MC took a stand: she held back her rent until the problems were fixed. Her landlord's response? An eviction notice.

Even though MC quickly paid her full $1,300 rent within the legal timeframe, she didn't pay a $50 late fee. Her landlord pushed forward with eviction over just that $50.

The Turning Point was Civil Legal Aid

Going to court alone, MC lost her case. But everything changed when she found the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. With the help of her new lawyers, she:

1. Challenged the original ruling

2. Prompted the landlord to finally hire an exterminator

3. Bought extra time to find new housing

4. Fought back when the landlord tried to charge her for fixing the problems she'd reported on day one – including removing the old tenants’ pool table!

Justice Served

In the end, MC didn't just avoid eviction — she won $3,000 in damages. Why? Because her landlord violated Wisconsin laws requiring safe, livable housing conditions — and she had a legal expert by her side to make sure the law was enforced.

Why This Matters

This story isn't just about one person's victory. It shows that even the most common-sense legal cases can go the wrong way when someone doesn’t have an attorney.

When you’re dealing with bad actors, having a lawyer can make all the difference between losing stability and achieving justice.