Missouri renters worried about evictions
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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) — The president suspended government evictions, but some families still fear the crisis could force them out of their homes.
Restaurants, bars and retail stores on the Plaza are now closed and employees at all those stores are now going without pay, and the president’s moratorium on evictions doesn’t cover everyone.
Jessica Daetwiler is social distancing, but not working at home, because she can’t. She works in a small restaurant that’s now closed.
“They don’t have big corporate money behind them to do anything. So even our owners and managers who work full-time are in the same situation as all of us,” Daetwiler said.
Her apartment complex told her they will be waiving late fees, and helping ease the uncertainty as much as possible, but for how long?
“It is nerve-racking when you don’t really know the end in sight,” Daetwiler said.
The Trump Administration Eviction and Foreclosure Relief only applies to those in public or government-subsidized housing.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed an eviction ban that applies to everyone effective until May 1.
On the Missouri side, there is no protection from evictions just yet.
“Just as of this morning, I got a call from a tenant with a deputy sheriff at her door for Jackson County. They are still executing evictions, meaning evictions that were decided before the state of emergency are still occurring,” Daetwiler said.
Tara Raghuveer with the housing advocate group KC Tenants is calling on Missouri Governor Mike Parson to enact some relief.
“And to us, a moratorium means both a moratorium on filing in court proceedings, but also an immediate moratorium on the law enforcement of evictions that have already been decided,” Daetwiler said.
It’s not just tenants on edge right now.
“Landlords are not thinking about evictions. They are trying to think of ways to survive themselves and helping their tenants,” Daetwiler said.
Landlord and Realtor Stacey Johnson-Cosby says a lot of landlords are worried about the mortgage payments on the properties they rent.
“Tenants need to communicate with their landlords and likewise landlords need to communicate with their mortgage companies,” Johnson-Cosby said.
One thing most everyone can agree on, is we’re all in this crisis together. Even when remaining physically apart.
KCTV5 News called the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office about those ongoing evictions KC Tenants are concerned about.
It’s not the sheriff’s office who enforces evictions, but the district court civil process servers. KCTV5 News is still waiting on a call back from the court on this.
Jackson County said the county executive is looking into whether there’s anything he can do to temporarily stop evictions.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s office has yet to respond of whether they are considering halting evictions and foreclosures across the state.
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