July 2019 Newsletter

NEWSLETTER / July 2019
South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) is a non-profit law firm. We provide free legal services in a wide variety of civil (non-criminal) legal matters to eligible low income residents of South Carolina. Our mission is to provide legal services to protect the rights and represent the interests of low income South Carolinians.
	A Costly Mistake In The Home Record Domenika Johnson came home from work one evening to find a For Sale sign in her front yard. Surely, this was a mistake. Maybe the realtor meant to put it on the property next to hers. It was vacant, and Domenika had not seen anyone coming or going there in years – for as long as she lived there, actually. In the mailbox, she had a letter from a real estate company. The first line made her heart sink. The property you are occupying belongs to someone else, it read. This could not be. Her property? Her home? She bought it with her own savings 15 years ago. She only had 5 years left on the mortgage. In that moment, Domenika felt panic come over her. What was going on? What could she do? Where could she turn? As she spent the next few days trying to sort out what was happening, her home was auctioned off and sold. Read More
	Custody in the Age of Social Media Fighting over custody or getting divorced can be one of the hardest times in a person’s life. There are all sorts of unknowns and stressors that can cause any person involved in a family court case to worry and be unable to sleep. Many people involved in a custody or divorce case find themselves angry and needing to vent or talk to someone about what they are going through. They need to be able to say how horrible their spouse is or what needs to happen in their case. With the rise in popularity of social media, many people with an ongoing case in family law will post their thoughts or feelings online. Read More
	What Can You Do If A Car Dealer Deceived You? The Dealers Act is available to South Carolina consumers who have been harmed by unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices as defined in the Act. It applies to any person who engages directly or indirectly in purposeful contacts within the state of South Carolina in connection with the offering or advertising for sale of a motor vehicle or who has business dealings with respect to a motor vehicle within this State. Read More
	A Lawyer Who Cares Is A Lawyer Who Asks The mind has a unique ability of savoring delightful memories. Summer in the South makes me think about fresh cut grass, the sound and smell of a light rain that you can see marching across fields of your neighbor’s yard. We would play outside most of the day. Those are some of my memories associated with summer. What will this generation of students remember about this summer? Read More
	WAYS IN WHICH SOUTH CAROLINA LEGAL SERVICES IMPACTS THE LIVES OF LOW-INCOME SOUTH CAROLINIANS Housing Defending homeowners facing foreclosure Preventing homelessness by defending against unlawful eviction and termination of housing benefits Enforcing fair housing laws to remedy discrimination based on race, gender, national origin, familial status and disability Taking action to ensure that landlord make necessary repairs to provide tenants with decent and safe housing Education Securing a good education – a key to breaking the cycle of poverty and improving the workforce Ensuring that children with special needs are identified early and receiving appropriate help and resources Helping families that struggle with homelessness keep their children in school Preventing the school to prison pipeline when students can safely remain in school