Volunteer Victory

Phil Zimmerly and his wife, Dana

When work at his day job was a little slow, Phil Zimmerly contacted Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic to see if there were any volunteer cases he could take. That’s how he met Artis.

After Artis had moved to a new home, her landlord had failed to return her $800 security deposit. “That’s the one thing that is very favorable to tenants,” says Phil. “If you don’t get that itemization of damages within 45 days, then you get the full amount back. That’s really, really good because it protects the tenants.”

Knowing this, Artis had requested for the entire amount to be returned—and it still was not. So she decided to take the landlord to small claims court. Her efforts were successful and she won—there was just one problem. “She didn’t know how to collect on it,” says Phil. “And that’s why she came to the Clinic.” 

And so, Phil took on her case as a volunteer attorney. He knew if they had difficulty getting the money, it would mean returning to court. “You ultimately would have to go through a proceeding supplemental, which is this very inglorious process of dragging the other side into court and making them answer questions about their assets and it’s not a good experience for anyone,” Phil says. If at all possible, both Phil and Artis wanted to avoid this route. So, Phil put together a letter on Clinic letterhead, sent it off, and was soon rewarded with good news.

“The landlord ultimately did the right thing and, as soon as they got the letter, they said that they were going to be sending a check, which we received shortly thereafter,” says Phil. Because Artis had the authority of an attorney and Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic in her corner, the landlord had responded immediately. “It confirmed for me that when firms get involved in these kinds of cases, they really help to move things along quickly,” he says. He and Artis celebrated that the resolution took the simpler path for everyone involved.

Although he assisted with the collection portion of the case, Phil wants to give credit where credit is due. “She did the heavy lifting by going to small claims court and filing there and then seeking a default judgment and getting that judgment. I mean, that’s no easy task for somebody who is not an attorney,” he says. 

For Phil, volunteering on this kind of case brings him a great deal of joy and satisfaction. “You’re using your trade and you know you’re helping someone,” he says. “When firms and attorneys can help out with these matters, it really goes a long way.”

To learn more about volunteering for the Clinic, please visit our website.