November 2008

VIP offers the unique opportunity to positively affect the lives of low income Philadelphia residents. We provide resources to assist you throughout the case, including mentors, interpreters, law students and training materials. Join the VIP team by taking a case!

If you are interested in taking one of the following cases, please click on the email address following the case to send an email to the VIP staff. Thank you!

Urgent Need

Child Abuse Expungement    I am interested in this case >
(59)     081223
Client, a seventy-one year old great-grandfather with custody of the child, seeks assistance in a child abuse expungement matter. Client received letter from DPW stating that client has 45 days to respond to indication of abuse of his great-granddaughter. Two months ago client states that police questioned him when the mother of the child reported him. Client states that the mother wants custody of the child and access to child’s monthly financial support. Client needs representation to respond to indication of abuse by November 15, 2008.

Consumer Finance  I am interested in this case >
(66)     081314
Client needs representation in a collections suit. Client is being sued by a credit card company. Client believed that her account had been closed, and had no awareness of debt owed. Client states that she was not served a complaint, but did receive a ten day letter to respond. Client needs assistance to respond to the letter by November 17th, to defend against the complaint, or to set up an affordable payment plan.

Public Housing I am interested in this case >

(59) 081236
Client seeks assistance in a public housing eviction matter. Client states that she was not served with notice of MC hearing. Default judgment was entered against client on September 25, 2008. Client faces eviction due to her son’s arrest near her property. Client states that letter from opposing counsel citing drugs found on property is not accurate. Client filed Petition to Open Judgment pro se. Client needs representation in avoiding eviction and remaining in her home.

Custody / Visitation I am interested in this case >

(34) 081173
Client seeks assistance in a custody matter. Client and opposing party have four children together. Due to physical and verbal abuse, client left opposing party with her children. Opposing party took custody of two of the children. At hearing in June 2008, client obtained primary custody of two of the children and opposing party obtained primary custody of the other two children. Client needs representation at hearing on December 3, 2008 to obtain permanent order of primary custody of all of her children. Opposing party is represented by counsel.

Guardianship I am interested in this case >

(66) 081033
Client is a very low-income man who needs immediate assistance with a federal tax Client needs assistance obtaining guardianship of his aging mother. Mother suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and depression and as a result does not pay her bills or rent. The electricity in her home is currently turned off and the client and mother are facing eviction. Client needs guardianship as soon as possible so that he can have access to mother’s accounts to pay all bills and keep them in the home.

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LITIGATION

FAMILY LAW

Divorce I am interested in this case >
(66) 080912
Client would like to obtain a divorce from opposing party. Opposing party is abusive to client when he is intoxicated. Client has had two PFA’s against opposing party for physically attacking her when he was drunk. Opposing party has refused to get alcohol counseling and continues to engage in substance abuse. Client needs representation to help her initiate a divorce with equitable distribution of a shared property and a pension account.

Guardianship I am interested in this case >
(66) 081250
Client needs assistance obtaining guardianship of his incompetent adult daughter. Client needs guardianship status in order to ensure his daughter has proper care and access to supportive programs. Hospital and school district psychologists can testify to daughter’s condition.

Guardianship I am interested in this case >
(59) 081195
Client seeks assistance in guardianship matter. Client is a senior who needs help gaining guardianship of her long-time spouse. Client is primary caregiver of her husband who suffers from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The only household income is client’s spouse’s Social Security and retirement benefits. Client needs representation to obtain guardianship to obtain medical, insurance, and former employer information and to make household financial decisions.

Guardianship I am interested in this case >
(59) 081190
Client seeks assistance in obtaining full guardianship over his mother, who is currently in a comatose state. Client would like to be his mother's legal guardian in order to select a nursing care facility for her. Additionally, client wants to be in the position to make other decisions necessary to further her well-being.

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OTHER LITIGATION

Civil Forfeiture I am interested in this case >
(59) 080642 Client, a grandfather and widower, seeks assistance in a civil forfeiture matter. Client was convicted of drug possession in 2006 and was incarcerated for one year and is currently on probation for two years. Client is head of household of five and needs representation to retain his family home in forfeiture proceedings. Hearing is scheduled for December 2, 2008.

Collections I am interested in this case >
(59) 081197
Client seeks assistance in a collection matter resulting from a dispute with a private contractor. Client had blueprints drawn for an addition to her kitchen and needed to have engineer seal them. Contractor had drawings sealed and returned them to client for application for a permit for the improvements on her home. Client needed additional copies and requested that contractor make them. Client, fearing that seal was not authentic, has not pursued work by contractor. Contractor filed lawsuit against client for $4,000 for services of providing seal and copies. Client needs representation to have mechanic's lien lifted and resolve dispute with contractor.

Torts I am interested in this case >
(59) 081234
Client seeks assistance in her defense in a slip and fall matter. Client was named along with city and four other defendants by opposing party as a result of her injuries in a fall near client’s property. Client states that city removed a tree on the sidewalk. Soon thereafter, the sidewalk became uneven. Client states that she and her neighbors reported the hazardous condition to city but no action was taken. Client does not have homeowners’ insurance. Complaint was filed on September 29, 2008. Arbitration hearing is scheduled for May 27, 2009.

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LAWWORKS

Homeownership/Transactional I am interested in this case >
(74) 080785
Client entered into a lease with option to purchase her home in August of 2000. In October of 2000, the house was sold at Sheriff’s Sale because record owner defaulted on the mortgage, although the former owner said that was a mistake. Client has resided in the property continuously since August 2000, but stopped paying rent because she lost contact with the former owner. During her time in the property, she has made significant repairs to it. The property is now set for a Sheriff’s Sale for back real estate taxes in the amount of approximately $18,000. The current record owner (the mortgage company) has not been responsive and will mostly likely let the property go up for sale. Client would like assistance in negotiating with the mortgage company to place title in her name so she can enter into a payment plan to pay the real estate taxes.

Homeownership/Real Prop. I am interested in this case >
(34) 080486
Client is living in the property once owned by her mother. Client’s mother died in 2005, with a will leaving one of her properties to client and another property to two of her sons (client’s brothers). One of these brothers became the executor of the mother’s estate and fraudulently transferred the property willed to client into his own name with the help of an attorney. This executor-brother is now demanding that client either pay him for their mother’s funeral costs or leave her property. As a result, client needs assistance in negotiating with her brother (which may include filing an action with the Register of Wills or Orphans’ Court), so that she can determine what her share of the funeral cost is and have title to her property placed in her name. Client’s son is able to assist her in paying for her share of the funeral costs if necessary.

Homeownership/Real Prop. I am interested in this case >
(74) 081021
Client, young single mother of 2 children, is a victim of a fraudulent deed transfer by two uncles. Client has the earlier recorded deed to the property from her deceased grandmother. She needs a volunteer attorney to quiet title.

Homeownership/Real Prop. I am interested in this case >
(34) 080900
Client is living in the property owned by her parents. Client’s father died in 1996, and her mother died in 1997 with a will leaving all of her property to her 3 children, including client. After her mother’s death, client’s 2 brothers obtained Letters of Administration and took about $80,000 out of her bank accounts and spent all of it. Then in 2004, client’s brother transferred title of their mother’s property into the names of himself and his wife. A year later, they transferred title of the property into just his wife’s name, and she subsequently took out a $69,000 mortgage on the property. Earlier this year, the mortgage company filed a foreclosure action. Philadelphia Legal Assistance is assisting client in defending this foreclosure action. However, client still needs assistance in filing a quiet title action, in order to have the fraudulent deeds and mortgage invalidated and to have title placed into her name.

Probate I am interested in this case >
(34) 080524
Client is living in her property with her 3 minor children. She moved into the property over 10 years ago, to take care of a close family friend whom client referred to as her “uncle.” The last deed for the property was recorded in 1959 and transferred title into the name of the “uncle,” the uncle’s brother, and the uncle’s mother as joint tenants with right of survivorship. The uncle’s mother died several decades ago, though the exact date of death is unknown. The uncle’s brother then died in 1990, thus vesting sole title of the property in client’s “uncle.” The uncle then died in 2001, with a will leaving the property to client and naming her as Executrix of his estate. Client has since taken out Letters Testamentary on his estate. As a result, client needs assistance in completing the estate administration of her uncle’s estate, including transferring title into her name. In order to do so, the unknown date of death for the uncle’s mother needs to be addressed.

Probate I am interested in this case >
(74) 080447
Client lives in her home with her daughter and brother. The home is currently titled in the name of Client’s deceased parents. Both parents died intestate. The deceased parents had eight children, some of whom predeceased the parents and left heirs. All surviving heirs have agreed to sign over their interest in the property. Client would like assistance gaining title to her home so she can obtain home repair loans in order to make badly need repairs. VIP recommends using a §3546 petition due to the number of heirs.

Probate I am interested in this case >
(74) 080434
Client, single mother of 5 children under 10 years old, lives in home deeded in her father’s name. She needs a volunteer attorney to probate father’s estate and transfer title to her. All other parties are willing to waive interest in the property.

NON-PROFIT/SMALL BUSINESS

Other Employment & Ceta I am interested in this case >
(34) 081227
Non-profit 501(c)(3) organization provides legal expertise and technical assistance services to other non-profit organizations that develop affordable housing, stimulate neighborhood revitalization, and pursue economic development programs. In accordance with recent regulatory changes to 403(b) plans, organization will soon be drafting a 403(b) written plan for their asset management company and will need an attorney to review and edit the written plan (or to write the plan for them, if possible). The organization will also need the attorney to advise their Board as to whether the organization has done everything necessary to comply with the regulatory changes.

Tax I am interested in this case >
(77) 081151
Client is a very low-income man who needs immediate assistance with a federal tax controversy. From tax years ending December 2004 and December 2005 client lived with, cared for and supported his sister’s children while their father was incarcerated. For this reason he claimed Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for these years, which the IRS disputes. The client has no assets and his only form of income is disability from social security. The IRS has threatened to take 15% of his social security disability check. This would be an extreme hardship, particularly because he has only recently begun to receive social security disability and will not be eligible for Medicare for at least two years. Client seeks assistance in resolving this tax controversy through either achieving currently non-collectible (CNC) status or through an installment payment plan.

Tax I am interested in this case >
(77) 081211
Client seeks immediate assistance with a federal tax controversy dating to tax years 2004 and 2005. Client provided the IRS with what was understood to be sufficient proof for Earned Income Tax Credit eligibilitiy for those years. The client was notified in September 2008 that the IRS denied this eligibility and will audit $4,085 for 2004 and $3,164 for 2005. Client seeks immediate assistance in resolving this tax dispute with the IRS.

Tax I am interested in this case >
(77) 081222
Client is a victim of identity theft in which another individual has reported wages, applied for an earned income tax credit and filed for a tax return in his name. Client has received a tax refund of $4000 that he did not file and has since kept in a bank account and has not spent. Client is permanently disabled from a brain aneurysm and is concerned that his identity will continute to be wrongly used with the IRS and elsewhere. Client is of exteremly limited finanical assests and has had difficulty providing the proof the IRS wants in confirming his situation and resolving his personal identity and tax issues. Client seeks immediate legal assistance.