With evictions set to soar, Miami-Dade seeks to mediate between landlords and tenants
Miami-Dade County has launched a free online platform to serve as a mediator between landlords and tenants in eviction cases.
The platform, called courtHELP (court Housing Eviction Landlord/Tenant Platform), can be accessed at courtinnovations.com/FLCOURTHELP and is intended to help resolve eviction cases outside of courts, where a flood of new cases is expected now that the moratorium has ended.
“There were approximately 18,000 eviction cases in 2019 and 50% of those ended in default, without the tenant ever filing anything,” said Miami-Dade Judge Gordon Murray during an online press conference to introduce the platform. “People may feel intimidated when it comes to going to the courthouse to file papers, but they are more comfortable in the digital age.”
According to data compiled by the Community Justice Project, 15,022 evictions have been filed in Miami-Dade from the start of the pandemic through August 20, 2021. That number is expected to skyrocket now that the moratorium is over.
Using simple yes or no questions, courtHELP allows anyone who has received an eviction notice to begin a discussion with their landlord about rental payment arrangements, financial assistance or coming up with a mutually agreed move-out date.
The tenant is required to start the process, and the landlord has the option to opt in. A court mediator will be assigned to each case and explore possible resolutions, saving precious judicial hours for other matters.
Documents uploaded to the platform will automatically be filed electronically into court records.
The mediation will not replace court hearings, and either party will have the ability to quit the mediation process at any time to continue the legal eviction process.
The website is currently available only in English, although versions in Spanish and Creole will be added soon.
“A 50% default is a frightening number,” said County Commissioner Raquel A. Regalado. “We celebrate how diverse our community is, but unfortunately that diversity sometimes works against us. Some people from other countries think their notaries can act as attorneys.”
Regalado said that the county does not have the power to issue its own eviction moratorium, like former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez did in March 2020, because Florida is no longer under a state of emergency. Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted all COVID-related emergency orders on May 4.
“The work is not over with the launch of this program,” said Miami-Dade Judge Milena Abreu. “The next step is to market and get this program out to as many people in our community as possible. Knowledge is power, and the more folks have knowledge of this program, the more success we will have as a community.”
Judge Murray said he hopes the new online tool will help resolve eviction cases that arise due to a simple failure of communication.
“Sometimes people get afraid because they’ve fallen behind on their rent and they start avoiding their landlords,” he said. “The landlord is trying to hear from the tenant, but the tenant is nervous about the legal process.”
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 3:38 PM.
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