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Why Landlords File for Eviction (Hint: It’s Usually Not to Evict)

Most of the time, a new study finds, landlords file for eviction because it tilts the power dynamic in their favor—not because they want to eject their tenants.
relates to Why Landlords File for Eviction (Hint: It’s Usually Not to Evict)
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

On a Thursday morning last December, Katrina Porter woke up to get dressed earlier than usual. She pulled back her hair, put on black pants, a tie, and a uniform sweater from the local museum where she works as a security guard. She dropped her son off at 7:30 a.m., though she’d still be several hours late for work. First, she had to make it to Baltimore rent court by 8.

Katrina, like thousands of people a year, showed up to Baltimore’s rent court to dispute an eviction filing.