BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The federal moratorium on residential evictions for COVID-related non-payment of rent ended on Saturday and the Broward Sheriff’s Office will now begin serving eviction orders throughout the county.
In a press release issued Monday, BSO spokesman Carey Codd said the agency “understands that this is a time of great anxiety and stress for those facing eviction, and deputies who serve eviction orders work tirelessly to treat everyone involved in these difficult situations with dignity and respect.”
Recommended Videos
The Biden administration announced Thursday it would allow the ban to expire, arguing its hands were tied after the U.S. Supreme Court signaled the measure had to end.
More than 15 million people live in households that owe as much as $20 billion to their landlords, according to the Aspen Institute. As of July 5, roughly 3.6 million people in the U.S. said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey.
Codd said once a Broward County judge signs an eviction order, the agency is required to serve it.
“The process works like this: once an eviction order is signed by a judge, BSO receives a writ of possession,” Codd said. “BSO’s civil process servers post that writ at the home, and the tenant or tenants being evicted are given 24 hours to leave the residence. Once that 24 hour window passes, deputies conduct the final eviction and ensure that those being evicted leave the residence.”
Codd said deputies will post a notice on the property after the final eviction is carried out, showing that the process is complete and that the tenant is no longer allowed on the property.
If the former tenant does attempt to access the property, they may be arrested and face criminal charges, he said.
“It’s important to note that some types of evictions continued during the pandemic,” Codd said. “The only evictions that ceased were residential evictions for non-payment of rent due to COVID-19, provided renters filled out and submitted required paperwork to their landlord.”
Codd said those who are facing eviction will be provided with links and phone numbers so they can receive community assistance, like transitional housing, food assistance and job placement.
He said rental assistance may also be available through the county as it received about $53 million in funding from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program.
To learn more about the program and eligibility requirements, call 888-692-7203 or CLICK HERE.