Last year, Maricopa County saw a record number of eviction cases.
To get a closer look at the process, ABC15 followed along as Maricopa County Constable Mahogany Kennedy was tasked with the difficult job of evicting tenants.
The day started as Kennedy drove to the first home in south Phoenix.
"I have about eight evictions scheduled today, yesterday I had 12," she said.
When she arrived, she approached the door but quickly found the house was empty.
"They've already vacated, and the locks are going to be changed," Kennedy said.
Kennedy says finding an empty home is a common occurrence nowadays. Because of her workload, tenants have more time to leave before she even shows up.
Maricopa County broke a record for the number of eviction cases filed last year, with about 87,000. That's up about 4,000 from the previous record set nearly 20 years ago.
"I can tell you I'm doing by far more evictions during the day than I have historically, in the past," Kennedy said.
At her next stop, Kennedy was greeted by worried neighbors who feared dogs may have been left unattended inside. But upon taking a closer look, there were no dogs or people inside the home, just a lot of trash and filth left behind.
While her first two stops may have seemed uneventful, Kennedy said she knows the next one might not be as easy.
"It can be contentious at times," she said.
That's why Kennedy said she works her hardest to bring empathy to every family she visits.
"Sometimes you just have to be a human being as you're out here evicting," Kennedy said. "You cannot teach empathy, but it's something that's needed in this time."
EVICTION RESOURCES
If you are struggling to pay your rent, here are some tips provided by the Justice Courts of Maricopa County:
- Do not wait! The moment you think you might have a problem paying the rent, let the landlord know. Some landlords will split the rent into two payments, others will work with tenants in other ways. Others, of course, will not. But start talking NOW!
- Look for help immediately. Do not wait until the hearing to look for rental assistance. Although pandemic-era programs have dried up, many cities or non-profit organizations have new or existing rental assistance programs that may help.
- Community Legal Services has FREE landlord-tenant help throughout the week. Their counselors will look at a tenant’s situation to see if there is some error in the paperwork or other “loophole” that may buy more time.
- Read the information on these websites for education and assistance:
