Eviction Defense Collaborative

I was told about this group so for the past three days have been trying (unsuccessfully) to get a live person. It has been a fruitless, frustrating and annoying exercise. I have telephoned numerous times. Their vm asks you to dial ‘1’ for English. If then says ‘if you know your parties extension, dial it at any time’. One has to know that a good percentage of calls will be new ones trying to make initial contact. A recording gives the hours and change of address which is now on Mission Street. (If you Google them, the old address on Market Street is shown). Then the recording says if you want ‘further’ information, to press 1. So I did this, only to hear the SAME information I had just listened to. I went back and forth like this about four times to see if the recording would change. It did. Once to give the December holiday schedule! So their vm needs to be updated too. Another time their recording said they were closed Tuesday afternoons and yet another recording said they were closed Friday afternoons! After three days of numerous calls, pressing ‘1’, hearing the same messages, I decided today to e-​mail them. Got their contact info. from their website and clicked on envelope. Their e-​mail address popped up. Spent about three minutes typing in my frustrations from my iphone and hit the ‘send’ button. Less than 15 seconds later I got a return message stating that the e-​mail account ‘did not exist’! Their website also states «Please use phone and email for administrative matters only. Unfortunately we have no resources to return phone messages and emails about client services.» Whether one is calling for administrative matters or services, I doubt they will be successful. If the only way to contact them by e-​mail is for admin. matters, and the e-​mail address does not exist, why bother? In fact, this whole collaborative seems to be quite useless from the little interaction (one sided) I have had with them. They might have been good back in 2012 (good reviews) but I don’t know how they got a good review last year (perhaps Sunita A. is the exception) because I can’t get hold of them to form a real opinion. It seems to me that they really want people to visit them in person, instead of by phone or e-​mail. However, I am loath to just walk in to their office as I fear I will be told I should have made an appointment first!
I reckon it would be easier to be connected to POTUS if I called the White House, than get someone at EDC.

The people who work here are extremely knowledgeable and caring. They are real life heroes who protect people from having to live on the streets. I am very grateful for their assistance. I hope that no one ever has to deal with the stress of an unfair eviction (retaliation in my case) but at least this organization can help with paperwork and referral services.

I wish I could give Eviction Defense Collaborative five stars. I believed in them for a very long time — all the way up to my trial date, and that was four long months of believing and hoping. I received a 3-​day eviction notice followed by an Unlawful Detainer. The young attorneys at EDC worked fast and efficiently to write pleadings in my defense and were good at dispensing legal advice — up and until the time my case was ready for trial.
At the very point when I received from the California Superior Court a notice for a trial date as well as for a Settlement Conference, the mill that is EDC reared its frighteningly tired face.
EDC does not help you with discovery pleadings for trial. The attorneys at EDC completely overlook your right to conduct discovery. EDC is a mill for Settlement Conferences only, not for trial.
Without discovery, your Settlement Conference becomes much more difficult, more fierce and more stressful. Without discovery your attorney will never know what the plaintiff’s evidence might be against you. Everything in the Settlement Conference becomes a confidence game between the plaintiff’s attorney and the defendant’s attorney.
While it is true you still can «win» an eviction case without discovery, it’s much better to know what the plaintiff’s actual evidence is, if anything at all.
EDC is very proud (for some reason) of stating that 95% of eviction cases settle. How many «win» and how many «lose» is not given, but without your right to discovery and gathering information from the plaintiff, your case is just that much harder for you as well as for the attorney defending you.
If you don’t have an attorney, I highly recommend finding one at the Homeless Advocacy Project, particularly Michael Spalding, Esq. He helped me «win» my eviction case and stay in my apartment — without any discovery.

Wow are these guys good! Needed some help on an issue and in rides my knight in shining armor, Jordan Bubin. This dude works the crowd waiting desperately to speak with some one and never breaks a sweat. If you ever need help with rent or have a issue with your landlord, this is the place to be.

The Eviction Defense Collaborative saved me from becoming homeless, yes, really. For that, I am eternally grateful.
The office is shabby and you have to wait. The first people you will most likely deal with are law students, who are learning and unable to answer many questions. It makes all the difference if you bring all of the documents and are succinct in articulating your point of view. For my intake interview, they were thorough and provided excellent accurate information about what I could do and what to expect throughout the process.
On my behalf, they prepared the legal response to the Unlawful Detainer and provided accurate instructions about how to file the legal papers with Superior Court.
Because I am a long-​term tenant and would become homeless if evicted, they referred me to the SF Bar Association to find an experienced pro-​tenant attorney who would work pro bono. This referral was beyond priceless as the people who became my legal team are intelligent, helpful, supportive, and genuinely nice. PLUS! IT WORKED! Thanks to the team, the lawsuit was withdrawn and I am keeping my home.
EDC’s fees are based on a sliding scale and were incredibly reasonable. When I return to work, I will make a donation to support their excellent work.