Martin’s Story

Client case: Martin’s Story

In one case, a doctor at UMass referred a patient, “Martin,” suffering from COPD, asthma, and cancer to the hospital’s Medical-Legal Partnership with Community Legal Aid. Martin had lived in his apartment for 20 years, and his landlord had begun a no-fault eviction case against him. Due to his disabilities, Martin was unable to regularly access his mail. Martin only learned of the eviction when a letter was placed under his door notifying him that a moving company would arrive in 10 days to remove his belongings. He had nowhere to go, and faced imminent homelessness.

Thomas Hulley, a staff attorney with CLA’s Elder Law Unit, stepped in and filed a motion in court to stop the eviction. Attorney Hulley also successfully negotiated with the landlord to secure six months of additional time for Martin to find new housing. With the extra time, Martin moved into a new unit, where he happily resides.