Verdicts & Settlements

$630,000 - Lead Poisoning/Uninhabitable Apartment
Family resided in a run-down apartment with mice, cockroaches, no heat and peeling lead-based paint.

$250,000 - Uninhabitable Apartments
Tenants residing in five apartments sued their landlord for uninhabitable conditions including cockroach infestation, spiders, lack of heat, insufficient hot water, rain water leaks and crumbling paint.

$230,000 - Uninhabitable Apartments
Tenants residing in five rooms in a sub-divided house sued their landlord for slum conditions including cockroach infestation, spiders, lack of heat and insufficient hot water.

$200,000 - Uninhabitable Apartments
Tenants residing in three apartments sued their landlord for cockroach infestation, spiders, lack of heat, insufficient hot water and harassment.

$160,000 - Unlawful Eviction
Mother and daughter resided in a rent-controlled apartment. They were evicted by their landlord on the pretense that an apartment manager was going to move into their old apartment.

$125,000 - Unlawful Eviction
Middle-aged woman who had resided in her apartment for over 10 years was evicted on the pretense that an apartment manager was going to move into her old apartment.

$125,000 - Lead Poisoning/Uninhabitable Apartment
Mother and two children lived in an uninhabitable apartment with peeling and chipping lead-based paint, cockroaches, water leaks, broken windows and a backyard filled with debris.

$115,000 - Uninhabitable Dwelling
Family was enticed to move into the back portion of a commercial premises that they were leasing to operate a family business. The family lived with cockroaches, no heat, no kitchen, no shower and cold drafts for six years.

$110,000 - Unlawful Eviction
Woman resided in a rent-controlled apartment for over 10 years. The owner evicted her under the pretense that he was personally going to move into her apartment.

$100,000 - Uninhabitable Apartments
Tenants in two apartments sued their landlord for uninhabitable conditions including lack of heat, broken windows, insufficient hot water, cockroaches, mice, walls not weatherized.

$85,000 - Unlawful Eviction
Two families were fraudulently evicted on the pretense that the owner and family members would be moving into their units.

$45,000 - Harassment/Uninhabitable Apartment
Owner demolished the bathroom under the pretense of renovation and refused to repair it forcing mother and daughters to move out.

$45,000 - Uninhabitable House
Family resided in house where landlord began renovations which exposed the family to dust and debris for months. Family members included children with pre-existing medical conditions.

$45,000 - Mold Exposure
Family exposed to mold which was not repaired by landlord. Family experienced asthma symptoms, nasal congestion, lack of sleep and emotional distress.

$45,000 - Uninhabitable Apartment
Family exposed to uninhabitable conditions including cockroaches, mice, mold, scalding water and harassment.

$40,000 - Unlawful Eviction
Woman in her early 30's resided in a rent-controlled apartment for about five years. The owner evicted her under the pretense that he was personally going to move into her apartment.

$38,500 -- Uninhabitable Conditions/Fraud
Man lived in warehouse that landlord fraudulently promised to renovate into a mixed-use living space.

Los Angeles eviction defense attorney Philip Shakhnis represents tenants in unlawful detainer lawsuits for a flat fee of $2,500 (not including litigation costs). Philip Shakhnis is an eviction attorney in Los Angeles who has tried over 50 eviction trials and has successfully settled numerous others.

Tenants who face eviction need legal representation once the landlord has filed an unlawful detainer lawsuit. An eviction trial typically lasts no longer 30 minutes, especially when a tenant is not represented by a lawyer. Tenants typically lose at trial even when they have a strong case when they are not represented by an attorney.

First Steps to Take to Protect Your Rights
If you have received a legal complaint from your landlord:

1. Immediately find an attorney. You only have five days to respond to the complaint to avoid a default judgment.
2. Organize all of your records, including rental agreement, rent receipts, correspondence and any other evidence.
3. If the landlord claims that you are late on the rent and there are serious problems with your apartment, take photos and video of the uninhabitable conditions.