CHICAGO — A woman is suing her landlord and the city of Chicago for alleged violation of state law.
Tanika Finley filed a complaint on Jan. 3 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging that the defendants forcibly locked her out of her home, allegedly leaving her homeless, amid a rent dispute. The plaintiff claims two Chciago Police officers, acting at the behest of Brandon Conley, her landlord, arrived in the morning and told her that it would be considered trespassing if she did not leave the premises within 15 minutes. The landlord then changed the locks to the residence, the lawsuit says, despite bitter cold winter temperatures that morning. Finley asserts the officers' and landlord's actions violated the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance and a court order placing a "winter moratorium" on such forcible evictions.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against the defendants for compensatory damages in an amount that exceeds $35,000, punitive damages in an amount that exceeds $100,000 and any further relief this court grants. She is represented by Michelle Gilbert of Legal Assistance Foundation in Chicago.
Cook County Circuit Court case number 2018CH00072