MAA Response to Mississippi Today Article
Date postedDecember 3, 2021
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Yesterday, a federal judge struck down the part of Mississippi’s eviction law that allows landlords to immediately seize the property of delinquent tenants, saying it has “unpredictable and absurd results.”
"We were disappointed to learn of the highly unusual facts that gave rise to Judge Mills’ Columbus case. No possession judgment had been entered by the Justice Court, so the tenant had no idea she needed to move out. She had not packed anything when the Constable showed up, and then the landlord did not let her take anything with her. The Mississippi Apartment Association actively encourages its members to treat tenants with respect and dignity at all times, even if forced to pursue an eviction. That would certainly include giving tenants time to move out and allowing them to take their belongings with them. Getting the Constable involved is properly viewed as a measure of last resort. MAA welcomes some simple, clear, easily understood, and easily applied changes to the eviction laws to prevent the exact type of scenario that occurred in the Columbus case.”
MAA will keep you up to date on this ongoing issue. If you have questions regarding evictions, we suggest seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. If you do not have legal counsel, we recommend contacting Robert Ireland with Watkins and Eager at (601) 965-1900.