Dear Belle,

First, I am sorry to hear about your financial difficulties - these are definitely hard times. You must file a response to the lawsuit, or she can obtain a default judgment (a judgment indicating that she wins and you must move immediately). Your response is due within 5 days of the date you were served. Go to the Courthouse, and they often have help centers for responding to eviction lawsuits. You can also look on the Court's website as many Courts have instructions regarding how to respond to an eviction lawsuit. You need to include in your response the fact that the unit you have been renting is illegal, and that you are demanding relocation benefits. I'm unclear about the Homeland Security reference - they have nothing to do with housing, landlord-tenant matters, or evictions. I would be careful - that sounds almost like someone may have called Immigration on you if you are not in the country legally. In any event, you really do need an attorney or you will be evicted and may lose rights. Try legal aid in your area. If not, find someone you can borrow the money from to hire a competent attorney to protect you. There is no way to explain the complicated eviction process in a free internet site like this.

David L. Gibbs, Esq.
The Gibbs Law Firm, APC
San Clemente, California
david.gibbs@gibbslaw.com

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