In Arkansas, your landlord can begin the eviction process if you are even one day late paying the rent. If you don’t vacate within 10 days, you could face fines and be jailed for up to 90 days. Furthermore, there are no laws requiring landlords to maintain the properties.
From Vice:
The pattern that leads an indigent debtor is as follows: It starts with basic debt, including credit card, medical, unpaid rent, and a host of unpaid fees to private firms. Debts become fines when collectors take debtors to civil court and from there, court fees are accrued. These court fees, if unpaid, can become grounds for incarceration.
This is against the law — the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, to be precise.
From the video description:
This makes things difficult for the third of Arkansas’s residents who are renters and have legitimate concerns about the properties they are occupying. The combination of failure-to-vacate and the lack of warranty of habitability make it almost impossible for tenants to challenge their landlords for legitimate reasons. It’s estimated that criminal evictions occur everyday in Arkansas, resulting in over 2000 failure-to-vacate cases being filed each year.
Go in-depth via Natasha Lennard’s article at Vice.com. Watch the video below and be sure to let us know your thoughts at the Liberal America Facebook page.
h/t Natasha Lennard | Vice | Upworthy
Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
