Landlord Tenant Resource Center Evaluation Study Shows High Levels of Satisfaction
The Pro Bono Program recently completed an evaluation to measure Landlord Tenant Resource Center (LTRC) effectiveness. The results of the study suggest that overall, the LTRC is beneficial to the clients it serves. Most LTRC users who were interviewed after a subsequent Landlord Tenant Branch appearance reported high levels of satisfaction. Of the total number of LTRC users surveyed, 77% reported they were happy with the outcome of their court appearance. Out of this group, over 95% attributed their successful outcome to the services they received at the LTRC. The remaining 23%, who were unhappy with the outcome of their appearance before the judge, speculated that representation by an attorney would have been the only factor that could have improved the result. Of all LTRC patrons interviewed, 94% reported feeling better prepared to appear in court and negotiate with the opposition after meeting with a LTRC volunteer attorney. According to one customer, “the Resource Center provides a flashlight for litigants to guide themselves through the dark tunnel that is Landlord and Tenant Court.”
Operating every day Landlord Tenant Court is in session, the LTRC provides unrepresented landlords and tenants with legal information provided by volunteer attorneys and paralegals. Attorney volunteers help clients prepare pro se pleadings; inform them about filing for a continuance; provide tips for presenting their case; and refer clients to legal and social service providers.
The evaluation also included a survey of pro se litigants who were not LTRC customers. Slightly fewer than half of non-customer pro se litigants who were interviewed said they were aware of the Resource Center service. Of those who did know about the Resource Center and were able to remember how they learned about it, most said that they first learned about the services by the judge’s opening statement once in court. Ironically, of those who were not aware of the services available, 73% said that they were present for the judge’s opening statement. Another group of pro se litigants who were not clients of the LTRC, but also had matters at the court were interviewed, and represented 48% of the respondents to the study. This group was unhappy with the outcome of their matters in court, but speculated that discussing their matter with an attorney would have helped to change the outcome. When asked why they had not consulted the Resource Center, the most common responses were either that the litigant did not know that the Center existed or the litigant did not have the time to wait to be seen.
The study of the Landlord Tenant Resource Center suggests two things: that when they utilized The Center, litigants generally have positive outcomes when they appear in court, and that more could be done to raise awareness of the resources available through the Landlord Tenant Resource Center. The low level of awareness regarding the services available exists even among litigants present at the judge’s opening statement. The Resource Center will be implementing measures to increase visibility and reduce waiting times through better triage.
Special thanks to Jonathan Parnes, summer law intern, for his excellent work on this project.
