Our Stories
Bring it on
Marissa* was being treated for a diagnosed mental health problem when she came to us in the throes of a personal crisis. Tired that her long-time boyfriend was filching money from her, she ended the relationship. Perhaps sensing her vulnerability, the boyfriend retaliated by bringing a small claims case against her, alleging that she had failed to reimburse him for repairs to her automobile that he had paid out of his pocket to the mechanics.
The boyfriend was trying to scam her. She had written him a check, he had cashed it, and the bank sent her the cancelled check. But now he was alleging that she had forged the cancelled check. A way to resolve that, she thought, was to subpoena her boyfriend’s bank records, to show that he had, in fact, cashed the check. In working with her, however, the Center’s case workers advocated another route, which was for her to respond to the small claims action, and win the case by telling her story and producing the cancelled check. To help overcome her anxiety
about appearing, in person, before a small claims judge, the Center counseled her to visit small claims court and study the process.
This she did. When the day came for the small claims hearing she more than held her own and won the case hands down. The ex-boyfriend’s specious claim was dismissed and Marissa walked out of court not only having ended a difficult chapter in her life, but with a new feeling of personal empowerment.
*not her real name
An unwarranted seizure
Irene* got into trouble with the law when sheriff’s deputies observed what they believed to be illegal drug purchases being made from her home in the Spokane Valley. Using a warrant, deputies searched her home and arrested her after finding small amounts of illegal drugs. She was eventually cleared of the charges by reason of incompetency related to post-traumatic stress disorder.
Unfortunately for Irene, sheriff’s deputies also seized her car, under the state’s seizure and forfeiture law (RCW 69.50.505). The seizure action may have been valid if, in fact, illegal drugs had been found in the car, or if there were other evidence that the vehicle had been used “to facilitate the sale, delivery, or receipt” of illegal drugs. But no drugs had been found in the car, nor was there any evidence that the 2005 vehicle had been used in drug transactions.
By the time Irene’s case reached the Center, it had already been assigned for an administrative hearing to decide whether the seizure of the vehicle was warranted. Yet, because she couldn’t afford a lawyer, it appeared as through she would have to fend for herself in her efforts, at the hearing, to recover her car. It was at this point that a Center legal intern did the research to determine whether there was any legal basis for the seizure and, finding none, the Center opted to intervene.
When the Center for Justice filed a notice of appearance on Irene’s behalf, it was a clear indication to the county that she would be represented by counsel at the hearing. Within 48 hours of the notice, a county deputy prosecutor researched the case and, finding nothing in the record to indicate the car was involved in illegal drug activity, the county agreed to settle. The hearing was cancelled. Irene got her car back.
*Not her real name.
The pain, the money and the supervisor
Morris* came to the Center after reaching what looked to be a dead end in dealing with a local school district and an unscrupulous and hostile supervisor. Prior to his difficulties, he thought he’d found his niche as a substitute school bus driver. Although he suffers from painful immune system disorders, he was able to enjoy his work as a driver and the district seemed to value his services.
One major complication for Morris is that he is on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for his health problems. It’s terrific insurance, except that if he were to collect more than a specified amount of compensation, he would lose his eligibility for SSDI, probably permanently. So, the arrangement he reached with the school district essentially involved him donating back to the district any compensation earned above that allowed each month by SSDI.
Another problem is that Morris and his supervisor didn’t get along. At one point, the supervisor fired him, only to have the superintendent intervene to stop the firing and instruct the supervisor to behave himself. That uneasy truce ended when the superintendent left, and a new superintendent was hired. Morris decided the time had come to leave the school district and because his work history was exemplary, he quickly found a job with a new school district. Perhaps in retaliation, though, the former supervisor apparently connived to overpay Morris for his last month’s work. That posed a huge problem for Morris, as cashing the check would make him ineligible for the health benefits he so badly needed. He called the new superintendent, but the superintendent was oblivious to the prior working arrangement and afraid that if he withheld earned compensation from a driver, he would get the district in trouble with the drivers’ union.
That’s when Morris came to the Center for Justice seeking help. A CFJ volunteer social worker solved the payment problem with a single phone call. But then came another complication. Morris saw the hand of his former supervisor at work when his new employer suddenly asked him to take a drug test. Because he was on a prescription pain medication to deal with the pain of his physical affliction, he was mortified, as he was sure to flunk the drug test. The Center volunteer calmed him down and explained that all he needed was a letter from his physician explaining the medicine was prescribed. His problems now solved, Morris is happily at work with his new employer, with his insurance and peace of mind.
*Not his real name.
A refund from the Heartbreak Motel
“Carson,”* is a Social Security Disability recipient who lives with a traumatic brain injury. With the help of a local family service agency, he secured a temporary living placement in a downtown motel. Carson paid a month’s rent in advance, plus a damage deposit, close to $600 total. He was there for only four days this winter before he suffered an epileptic seizure, which seriously affected his thought process. Afterward, a housekeeper found a cigarette butt in a glass in his room.
Because the motel has a strict no smoking policy, he was immediately evicted. Moreover, he was refused a refund for the remainder of the month, a real burden on him given how little money Social Security provides each month. Carson and the family service agency reviewed the rental agreement and saw no basis for the decision not to refund his rent. Still, the motel staff adamantly refused to consider a refund. The family agency was given an 800 number to call but weeks passed without a resolution. It was then that the agency contacted the Center for Justice on Carson’s behalf. Carson was interviewed by CFJ staff and his cause accepted. Numerous phone calls were made before a Center volunteer finally reached a representative of the motel’s owner. When the circumstances were explained, the owner’s representative not only refunded $500 to Carson, but issued an apology as well. The refund came just in time for Christmas.
*Not his real name.
“What can we do for you?”
“Harry*” came to the Center desperately looking for help. But his halting speech pattern–a result of brain injury and a history of autism–made this middle age gentleman very difficult to understand. His communication problems masked what is actually a very bright intellect. As best as we could understand, something about Social Security benefits and a large sum of money were at the core of his concerns. A CFJ volunteer advocate listened very carefully to Harry over the course of multiple interviews and was finally able to piece together his story and concerns. Receiving his benefits through a protective payee was anathema to him. He insisted that he was capable of handling his own financial affairs, and he’d demonstrated, by current and past behavior, that he was capable. His protective payee, a close and loving family member, agreed.
The family member and the Center advocate met with a Social Security official who was inclined to agree with Harry. To comply with federal rules, the official required Harry to obtain an independent medical opinion as to his competence. With prompting and guidance (his biggest problem is getting people to understand him) Harry found a doctor to examine him. He was then referred for a diagnostic exam and a session with a counselor. He was subsequently able to make an appointment, on his own, with Social Security and is now well on the way to achieving his goal.
*Not his real name.
Clearing a path to citizenship
An idea for safekeeping
Jacob came to see us regarding how to protect a document that he had written offering a new approach to a rehabilitation challenge. We were able to research copyright law and give him the information he needed to protect his intellectual property rights.
Good driver, bad checks
Gabe was working for a trucking company that started to go out of business. As the company continued its decline, Gabe was paid with three bad checks. The Center was able to prepare documents so Gabe could seek wages and damages from the company. After Gabe finally filed the case in small claims court, the company agreed to an out of court settlement.
Moving out and moving on
A family came to us with a landlord/tenant problem. The mobile home they lived in was in terrible shape, with mold, damaged carpets, with ceilings and walls damaged because of leaks. The City condemned the unit. The Center held rent for the tenant until a severance could be worked out with the landlord. Ultimately, the held rent money went towards relocation fees for the family when they were able to break the lease and move.
New life, new job
Karl came to the Center to find help. He’d vacated his criminal record three years earlier only to find that it was still showing on his record and preventing him from getting certain jobs, including one he cared deeply about. The Center sent a copy of the order vacating his record to the Washington State Patrol so they could update his record. Copies of the order were also sent to the local background check agencies so they could update his file. When this was completed, one of the background companies sent the information to the business where Karl had so badly wanted to work. Now he does work there, and is a full-time employee.
The boyfriend’s truck
Danielle routinely borrowed her boyfriend’s truck to run errands. But one day after she’d borrowed the truck and parked it overnight, it was stolen. Worse, the thief wrecked the vehicle. Danielle’s boyfriend accused her of stealing and wrecking the truck. The insurance company then came after Danielle and said that she must pay for the damages. The Center was able to prove that Danielle had no involvement in the wreck and that she wasn’t responsible for paying for the damages.
Siding isn’t free
Bill was a local contractor who agreed to install the siding on a building. He diligently completed the job but was never paid for his hard work. The Center advised him of his rights and helped him fill out the paper work for small claims court so that he could finally get compensated for the job.
New accident, old car
Bob called us after he received a surprise call from an insurance company telling him he was responsible for paying the damages on an auto accident. The problem was, he hadn’t been involved in an auto accident. The Center was able to help him find out that he’d forgotten to fill out the proper paper work when he sold his old car to a new owner. The Center helped him fill out the right paper work so he wouldn’t be held responsible for the accident of the new vehicle owner.
A year of overtime
Candy agreed to work overtime shifts for her local employer. But, as time went by and her overtime hours increased, she never got compensated for the extra hours. Eventually, she built up over a year’s worth of uncompensated overtime. The Center was able to advise her on how to pursue her unpaid wages in small claim court. The judge awarded her a sum that was double the amount of her unpaid wages.
A painter goes to court
Rick verbally agreed to a contract to paint murals for a local business. He completed the project but never received compensation for his work. A Center volunteer helped him understand his rights and complete the paperwork necessary to take the complaint to small claims court. He not only won his case, but received twice the original agreed upon amount when it was all finished.
Checking the checks
David was receiving social security before being sent to prison. While he was in prison Social Security kept sending him checks. But David didn’t cash them. Instead, he sent them back. After he was released and reapplied for Social Security he was stunned to learn that he was now being instructed to repay Social Security for the amount of the checks he received while he was imprisoned. The Center stepped in and was able to prove David didn’t receive any money while he was in prison and that he was applicable to begin receiving money again.
A big pile of bills
Mark had recently gotten out of prison and was taking the necessary steps to become a contributing member of society. It was then that he suddenly began to feel ill and had to be hospitalized. It was the beginning of a long and expensive ordeal. Doctors were unable to diagnose his illness. He returned home only to return to the hospital several more times. All of these trips were without insurance and the medical bills piled up beyond his means to pay them. Under the weight of this debt, Mark turned to The Center’s Community Advocacy program. He was paired with a legal intern who was able to get three fourths of his medical bills forgiven. This was accomplished through the Center’s negotiations with the local hospital and being able to package funds from a hospital charity and a private foundation, together with an agreement with a collection agency for Mark to pay the remainder of the bills.
Old record, new dream
When he was a young man, Billy was convicted on a drug possession offense. Years later, and without any further convictions, he wanted to pursue his goal of working with professional athletes. Unfortunately, he learned he was disqualified from the position he sought because of the possession conviction from his youth. The Center was able to help expunge his record so that he would be able to pursue his dream of working with professional athletes.
Troubled by a landlord
Maggie recently came to us after she had landed a new apartment and paid security deposit. Only after she’d paid the deposit did she learn that the landlord was a convicted felon. Feeling unsafe, Maggie sought our services to help get her out of the lease so she could seek an apartment elsewhere. The landlord first refused even though Marie had yet to move in. Center volunteers were able to help Marie out of the lease and get some of the money she had spent refunded.
The father and the principal
Danny received a notice saying that he would no longer be allowed to attend his son’s school events because of his criminal history. Among the activities he would be missing out on included sports games, open houses, and parent-teacher conferences. He contacted the Center because he felt it unfair that he would have to miss out on all his son’s events just because he had make a few poor choices a decade earlier. The Center petitioned the school principal requesting school visitation rights and was able to reach an agreement that Danny would be able to attend large school events, thus allowing him to retain at least some connection to his son’s school activities.
Good question
Northwest Fair Housing asked the Center to research whether a person’s eligibility for Social Security/Social Security Disability payments would be compromised by their receiving monetary payments resulting from a lawsuit judgment. The Center collaborated with Community Minded Enterprises to quickly determine that lawsuit payments would not make a person ineligible for SSI/SSDI.
Double troubles
Eduardo came to us after two major setbacks. First, his social security benefits were cut off because he left California to tend for his son, who’d become ill in Washington. Years later, he received a notice telling him that he owed more than $33,000 in back pay. This bolt from the blue, he learned, was due to a previous felony in California that had cast him into felony fugitive status. An intern at the Center was able to do some research that ultimately resulted in getting Eduardo’s warrant dismissed and the back-pay demand dismissed. Social Security also reimbursed him for a period in which they’d stopped sending his checks and also confirmed that he could continue to receive benefits in the future.
A nurse’s dream
Karen was in her mid-40’s when she first came to the Center seeking help. She‘d been a nursing assistant for years and decided to go back to school to get her degree in nursing. She applied for nursing school but was denied because of past criminal convictions. The Center helped Karen get her past convictions expunged from her record and she was able to pursue her dream of attending nursing school.
A daughter’s pain
Pauline came to us after watching her bed ridden daughter suffer with cerebral palsy. In order to alleviate constant back pain, Pauline’s daughter needed Botox treatments to alleviate the stress on her back. But the treatments were denied. The Center stepped in and helped negotiate a year long approval for her daughter to receive these treatments and allow her a better quality of life.
The parking lot
To expand its parking area, a local bank bought adjacent property in a residential neighborhood. In order to placate neighbor concerns about the expansion, the bank promised to provide adequate fencing and lighting. But the expansion occurred, and the promised improvements did not. Drivers trying to reach the bank were cutting across neighbors’ yards. The neighbors approached the Center for help in getting the bank to honor its commitment. After a year of negotiating with the bank, the Center succeeded in getting the bank to install a fence and proper lighting.
The scooter
Sally was involved in an auto accident while riding her scooter and the scooter was badly damaged. Her insurance company wanted only to pay for repairs. The Center advocated for Sally to get the scooter replaced. The negotiations with the insurance company lasted for a year and a half, but Sally finally received a new scooter.
The wheelchair
Kara had been a faithful employee for a quarter century. But during this time she became disabled to the extent that she needed a wheelchair at work. As a result of her limited mobility, Kara felt she was being discriminated against and feared that her job was in jeopardy. The Center was able to help her negotiate for a proper wheelchair, secure extended family leave, and get access to long-term disability funds until she retires.
The caregiver
Mary had been a caregiver for a person who’d passed away. The son of the deceased person wouldn’t allow her to remove her personal belongings from the premises. She sought legal representation, but was stymied by transportation difficulties. The Center stepped in to represent Mary and help her get permission to retrieve her things. It took one year, but Mary was able to get her belongings back.