"A pretty scary number," the Legal Aid Society’s Judith Goldiner warns. "14,000 families, not just people."

The Legal Aid Society says that's how many households the New York City Department of Social Services has found could be served with eviction warrants as soon as Thursday, August 6.

What You Need To Know

  • 14,000 families could be served with eviction warrants a day after a state ban on serving eviction warrants ends August 5

  • These cases worked their way through the system before COVID-19, and marshals would have served the eviction notices over the last several months

  • The warrants could require tenants to vacate their homes within two weeks

  • The Legal Aid Society is calling on Governor Cuomo to extend the eviction freeze indefinitely

Those tenants received a warrant of eviction before Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency to contain the spread of the coronavirus on March 7.

There are other protections in place, like the new state law that prevents courts from finding for the landlord and evicting people financially impacted by the coronavirus due to nonpayment of rent that has accumulated during the pandemic. But the 14,000 cases are ones that worked their way through the system before COVID-19 and the marshals would have served the eviction notices over the last several months if not for that major protection put in place during the pandemic.

“From January to March 2019, a total of 5,393 citywide evictions were executed, according to City data,” the Legal Aid Society said. “By comparison, the 14,000 active eviction warrants, which were issued before March 2020, indicate that the number of evictions in 2020 could far exceed last year’s numbers."

"The first thing I would say is ‘Do not move out just because you got the papers,’” Goldiner tells those who may be served with an eviction warrant. “Contact an attorney right away. You really need to see whether there is something to do."

Free attorneys are available for those who receive an eviction notice if one meets the income requirements. Call 311.

The Legal Aid Society is calling on Governor Cuomo to extend the eviction freeze indefinitely.