Eviction Notice Served to Louisiana Man Who Had Already Moved Out

Kentrell Valentine was a resident of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority. He started to fear for his safety and decided to move out of his apartment.

"They started breaking into my vehicle, I heard gunshots"

Valentine contacted WBRZ after finding out he had an eviction on his credit report. He discovered this several months after he cleaned up and left a written note explaining why he was leaving and his key. He even took photos of the apartment which shows that it was completely empty and cleaned out.

"I mopped and swept and cleaned everything out"

Two weeks ago, Valentine applied for a new apartment at a different complex when he learned about the eviction and a large sum of fees EBRPHA claims he owes. His previous landlord says he owes $834.50 for two months of rent and an eviction filing fee.

However, Valentine had already notified them he was leaving and was gone for the two months they are claiming he owes rent for. Because Valentine is disabled, he is unable to work and lives on a fixed income. This prevents him from paying these fees and finding a safe place to live.

WBRZ spoke with the Kelly Terrance community manager, who says that there "were still items inside Valentine's unit, and that is why the key was not accepted." He also provided a note explaining the sudden need to relocate but that was not accepted either.

Luckily, Valentine has detailed photos showing no items left in the apartment besides a lawn chair that he says was there when he moved in.

"That's why I left it there. That was the only thing there in the whole apartment"

The lease agreement required a 30-day notice, but since he felt unsafe, he provided a note and the key and never gave a 30-day notice

EBRPHA says if Valentine pays the outstanding balance, they can provide a letter showing it has been paid, thus removing the eviction from his credit report. However, due to his disability and fixed income, this prevents him from paying the balance and renting a safe place to live.

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