Call police about domestic violence and get evicted

[lapislzi]

74. DV is a community issue

I think that's where we're all headed here, and we're all in agreement about that.

As it is now (and as you so rightly point out), the system now is utterly effed up. The landlord, the tenants, the victim, the abuser--they're all members of the community, and they all have rights (unfortunately, even the abuser). Now, we know nobody's sticking up for the abuser. But the landlord's done nothing wrong. He has a right to a peaceful property free of troublemakers just like anybody else. The community becomes a better place when the abuser is removed and the victim cared for and supported.

So how do we go about this? Right now, we're nowhere. We have a law on the books in the OP that is harmful to DV victims, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't the intent of the law, despite its being an unfortunate by-product. So how do we fix that? How do we preserve what's good about the law (removing abusers, helping landlords and tenants) while ensuring that victims are not caught in a downward spiral of victimization?

I think that is what this thread is about and where NCTraveler was headed, despite her rough start. She does describe a very sad reality--but it is reality. I would much rather deal with the reality of the situation. Which, obviously, totally sucks for victims.