Rho Thomas, Special to the Daily Report (Reprinted with permission)

Georgia’s security deposit law is crystal clear: Once the tenant vacates, the landlord has 30 days to return the deposit or to notify the tenant of the reasons for withholding it.

The law does not allow landlords to withhold security deposits out of spite or malice.

But as I listened to my new client, Sade Dixon, tell me her story, I wondered if her former landlord did exactly that.

I met Ms. Dixon through the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation’s Saturday Lawyer Program. That Saturday morning in AVLF’s office, Ms. Dixon struck me as kindly but tired. She had been involved in a bitter dispute with her landlord in eviction court, where the two went head-to-head.

Now that case was over, Ms. Dixon wanted nothing more than to move on from a contentious living situation. But, after she moved out, the landlord refused to return her security deposit. Ms. Dixon turned to AVLF for help.

I first volunteered with AVLF when I was in Atlanta for a summer during law school. The more I learned about the organization, the more I wanted to become involved. I began volunteering with AVLF regularly in October 2014.

I sympathized with Ms. Dixon, and I wanted to help her. After gathering the facts about the situation, I strategized with my colleague, Yendelela Neely Anderson. We realized that Ms. Dixon was entitled under Georgia law to treble damages for her landlord’s failure to return her security deposit in a timely manner. I sent a letter to the landlord demanding that she immediately pay all of the money to which Ms. Dixon was entitled.

After some negotiation, the landlord returned Ms. Dixon’s full security deposit along with an additional amount in damages. I will never forget the big smile on Ms. Dixon’s face when I delivered her money to her. Her eyes shone with relief as she thanked me for my help. The experience touched me, because I felt I had truly made a difference in her life. It felt good knowing that I helped her achieve an outcome that she previously thought was unattainable.

There are many other people like Ms. Dixon in Atlanta who need help dealing with landlords who take advantage of them. The dedicated staff and volunteers at AVLF help these people daily—and a little bit of pro bono time goes a long way. I believe in the work that this organization does and will continue to volunteer my time to help the clients who seek assistance there. Ms. Dixon and so many others like her need our help.

Read the original article here.