Every time I hear anyone in Chicago speak about difficulties with their landlord, I tell them about Joan Fenstermaker. Every time I hear anyone express anxiety that their landlord will try to pocket their security deposits at the end of their tenancies, I give them Fenstermaker's number and tell them they don't have to live with it.
I found Fenstermaker at the recommendation of the staff of the Metropolitan Tenants Organization after my landlord had rejected mail delivery of my rent several times and then demanded I pay her rent via a cashier's check within five days, or face eviction. I thought the situation was ridiculous and could be handled by any competent lawyer, but the matter grew far more complex after variables were added: an abusive landlord, a Chicago judge who was willing to entertain the landlord's ridiculous reasoning (and even said he was sympathetic to it); three different attorneys hired by my landlord at different stages, including one who introduced complications which did not benefit the landlord so much as maximize his own fee; and building managers who expressed some willingness to make repairs but only as the landlord proceeded with her attempt to throw me out of my home.
Over a long year before all was resolved, Fenstermaker shepherded my case so as to: 1. defend me against further harassment form the landlord; 2. ease my anxiety over losing my home; 3. carefully explain relevant law, possible strategies and options at every stage; 4. deal with a judge who is generally hostile to the interests of tenants (Fenstermaker warned me right away that the judge we drew was routinely hostile to the interest of tenants - she knows the whole Chicago housing court scene intimately, as was able to take account of the personality and reputations of the judge and attorneys we dealt with in recommending our strategies).
5. perhaps most importantly, I am still living in my home thanks to Fenstermaker, who successfully convinced the judge to throw out my landlord's case during a jury trial. I am pretty sure that the jury would have ruled in my favor if we had reached the stage of deliberation, especially after Fenstermaker carefully questioned my landlord and presented by case, but it did not come to that:. It was dismissed basically because Fenstermaker was much more competent on the finer points of legal procedure than my landlord's attorney. In sum, Fenstermaker was prepared to handle a case with complications that seemed to spiral out of control, and won for me not because I was right or wrong (of course I was right), but because she is a highly skilled professional who knows the law and the scene in which it plays out.
It did not hurt that I love that Fenstermaker champions tenants only; she is dedicated to the basic ideas of tenant's rights, and the passion shows up in her legal work.
Now that I am out of danger of eviction, I plan to put myself in the good hands of Fenstermaker once again as I seek redress against my landlord for her many abuses (and there are many).
The Chicago Landlord-Tenant Ordinance is a powerful document and promises powerful rights to renters. But my first round in Chicago housing court have shown me that being right is not enough to make the Landlord-Tenant Ordinance work for you. The wrong judge or a slippery landlord can turn the tables. I had both, but Fenstermaker defended my rights and my home, and I hope that the enthusiasm of my review convinces others to benefit from her excellent representation. read more
