How should I proceed if Landlord changes locks on house but has not evicted yet?

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How should I proceed if Landlord changes locks on house but has not evicted yet?

Had a dispute with Landlord who then changed the locks around the house and did
not provide key.. when I asked for key I was given a 30 day eviction notice.
Month to Month lease

Asked on September 6, 2017 under Real Estate Law, California

Answers:

S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

You can sue your landlord for retaliatory eviction  which is when the landlord retaliates against the tenant for some act of the tenant that was not a breach of the lease.
You, the tenant, would have the burden of proof of proving retaliatory motive by the landlord.  You can recover compensatory and punitive damages against the landlord. 
Damages means the amount of monetary compensation you are seeking in your lawsuit.  Punitive damages are a substantial amount to punish the wrongful act of the landlord; however, in CA, the maximum that can be recovered is set by statute in landlord/tenant cases and is a low amount.


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