When a tenant is late on the rent or in violation of a lease agreement in Minnesota, the landlord can evict the tenant from the premises.
The landlord must serve the tenant with a summons and complaint.
The summons will say why the landlord is evicting the tenant, and should have tenant’s name and date of birth.
The court issues the summons.
The summons is an order for both the landlord and the tenant to appear in court.
It will have a hearing date between 7 and 14 days after the complaint is filed, and the court chooses the hearing date.
What does the tennant need to do?
The tenant can answer the complaint and explain in writing why they should not be evicted.
For example:
- The tenant did pay the rent, but the landlord credited it to the wrong account, or
- The tenant is withholding the rent for repairs
At the hearing the judge will hear evidence and decide whether or not the tenant should be evicted.
- They will look at things like payment receipts and bank statements to determine whether the tenant has paid the rent or not
- If the landlord wins at trial, the judge will enter an order for the tenant to vacate the property within 24 hours
- Whether or not the judge has entered this order controls how bankruptcy will work with the eviction
How can filing for bankruptcy help?
Bankruptcy can affect the eviction process.
- If the eviction order has not been issued, then bankruptcy stops the eviction, temporarily
- If you file for bankruptcy before the Minnesota State Court judge enters the eviction order, then the bankruptcy will stop your landlord from evicting you
This is because filing bankruptcy creates an injunction called the automatic stay, which stops creditors from taking certain acts to collect a debt from you. The automatic stay stops them from starting a new eviction action against you.
The landlord, however, can ask the court for permission to evict you.
This takes at least a month, however, and can give you time to find a new place to live. This process is called a motion for relief from the automatic stay.
If you get a motion for relief from the automatic stay from your landlord, it probably means that they are trying to evict you.
What happens if the eviction order was issued before the bankruptcy was filed?
- If the eviction order was issued before the bankruptcy was filed, then the bankruptcy won’t stop eviction
- If the landlord successfully got the eviction order before the tenant filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, then the eviction process continues uninterrupted
- If the landlord gets the eviction order before the bankruptcy case is filed, then a bankruptcy is of little help
The bankruptcy filing can get the debtor another 30 days to cure the arrears if there is another law or contract allowing the debtor to cure the arrears on the rent.
There are not many laws or rental contracts that allow tenants 30 days to cure rent arrears, so this is not useful very often.
What about commercial premises?
This article only applies to residential real estate rentals and includes apartments and houses.
The rules are different for renting commercial buildings and farms.
Walker & Walker Law Offices, PLLC does not practice eviction law, and this article is not legal advice on Minnesota eviction law.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
If you’re worried about losing your home, then why not not speak to us now at 612.824.4357 and see if filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in Minnesota is right for you?
We’ll give you all the help and advice you need.
Alternatively, fill out our free Bankruptcy Evaluation Form to see if filing for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in Minnesota is right for you.
We’re looking forward to helping you.
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