Nadia returned from visiting family to find strangers living in her home — and all of her belongings gone.
In late 2018, Nadia and her four young children moved into Pinebrooke Apartments, hoping to build a stable life. But just a year later, after being away for a few weeks, she walked into a nightmare: her apartment had been emptied, and her landlord had rented it to someone else — even though she was current on rent and still under lease.
With no warning, Nadia and her children were left homeless, with nothing but the clothes they had packed for their trip.
Determined to fight back, Nadia turned to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
She came to AVLF’s Saturday Lawyer Program, where volunteer attorneys Yendelela Neely Holston and Jessica Truelove of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton took her case. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they continued their work remotely — sending a demand letter to the landlord, and eventually filing a lawsuit in the summer of 2021.
Their persistence paid off. Nadia secured a $10,000 settlement — a step toward justice and healing for her family.
While the pain of being displaced won’t disappear, Nadia’s story shows the power of standing up, speaking out, and having someone in your corner.
*Client name changed for privacy.