Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-01-02
Suits 10 Collect
Rent Sci Mark
OfS7,5OO Here
Evictions Also Rise:
Landlords File
ll% More Cuses
BY CARL IRVING
star stan Writer

star stan Writer
District landlords filed a rec
ord $500 suits against rent
lowing tenants last year--ll per
cent more than were fled in
| 1856.
The 957 jump in cases re-
ceived in the Landlord and
Tenant Court reflects q steadily
increasing volume over that Of
the last I'VE years. according to
court records.
The records show 50.s63 cases
filed IN 1851. A total Of
1884 cases was filed in 1856.
The number Of evictions or
dered by the court rose TO 1915
last year. compared to i,04S
in 1856.
The increase includes a rise
In court actions against tenants
in FEDERAL public housing units
here The National Capital
Housing Authority today re-
Iported 1t filed 5.237 suits during
the last IL months, compared
TO ALTO I'VE years before. The
authority operates $500 units
in the District.
MAY Cover Overhead
II the number Of such cases
continues to increase. spokes-
men for the authority warned,
public housing rents here even
tually may be raised to cover
the court fees and legal work
required.
Private real estate dealers
have reported that the filing
of rent-collection suits has been
a rising overhead cost problem
involving attorney retainer fees
and agents labor.
Only 81 per cent Of this
years cases actually were heard
before q judge in the Landlord
and Tenant Court. THE re-
mainder were dropped by the
landlords when the tenants
paid their rents or left the
premises. An extremely small
percentage Of the cases heard In
court are contested by the
tenants. according to court
ofiicials.
United States Marshal Carl
ton Beall reported that the
number Of evictions has risen
to an average Of seven per day.
Evictions are only a last resort.
according to Miss Doris O.
Wilkins. court consultant.
The landlords only rarely
refuse my requests for stays Of
eviction" Miss wilkins said.
NO one really wants TO put q
family on the streets. That's
pretty desperate" she added.
l6 Evictions Monday
However. Miss wilkins did
note that Is families were
evicted from Washington
homes Monday. Earlier. Mar
shall Beall pointed out that
the number of evictions tend to
rise toward the end Of the
month, climbing into the sos
and 40s in summer months.
Landlords seem to evict
fewer families in the cold
months" he observed.
A steady increase in the
number of low-wage earning
people. coupled with higher
living costs. Is considered
chiefly responsible for the in
crease in landlord-tenant cases.
which now constitute about SIS
lper cent of all civil suits and
40 per cent Of all cases filed
in Municipal Court.
Many newcomers to WASH
ington these days come from
rural areas and are not used
to paying rents periodically"
Miss wilkins observed.
Recalls Depression Days
I'm a way. this is q repeti-
ton Of the depression days."
she noted. Then. few people
had enough money to rent a
whole house so spectators
came in and subleased rooms.
Often. the rents were exorbi-
| tant."
However, Miss wilkins added.
a recent survey she completed
shows that the major real
estate firms in Washington
charge fair rents. Many Of the
tenants. she noted, get into the
habit Of avoiding payment Of
their rents until they are
forced to do so through court
action.
You see many tenants who
become old timers in Landlord
and Tenant Court" she de-
clared. Real estate firms have
to 60 through the same routine
month after month in order
to obtain rent from some
tenants"