So, when someone is getting evicted by the sheriff, it usually means one thing. They have no place to go or no resources to get there. They’re broke, that’s why 95% of the people get evicted. The money they make, doesn’t cover their costs when the car breaks down, or they get sick and miss work, or their kid has to go to the hospital . . . or they lose their job, get their hours cut or are furloughed. So, to solve the problem of costs to the sheriff, what should we do? Charge the poor more!
That’s the proposal tonight at the County Board (page 67). It’s only going to bring in an anticipated $5,000 for Dane County, but it will help bury those already without resources even more.
I know some people may have thought this was no big deal because the landlords would have to pay this money, but that isn’t the case. As I pointed out to a few folks, the costs get automatically added to the judgment and passed on to the tenant.
799.25 Costs. The clerk shall without notice to the parties tax
and insert in the judgment as costs in favor of the party recovering
judgment the following:(6) SERVICE FEES AND OTHER CHARGES. Lawful fees or charges
paid to the sheriff, constable or other person for serving the summons
or any other document, and charges paid to the sheriff in
connection with the execution of any writ of restitution.The rest of it is here.
Given that it already costs more to be poor (a very good article you should read, but here’s an excerpt with just one issue)
Poverty 101: We’ll start with the basics.
Like food: You don’t have a car to get to a supermarket, much less to Costco or Trader Joe’s, where the middle class goes to save money. You don’t have three hours to take the bus. So you buy groceries at the corner store, where a gallon of milk costs an extra dollar.
A loaf of bread there costs you $2.99 for white. For wheat, it’s $3.79. The clerk behind the counter tells you the gallon of leaking milk in the bottom of the back cooler is $4.99. She holds up four fingers to clarify. The milk is beneath the shelf that holds beef bologna for $3.79. A pound of butter sells for $4.49. In the back of the store are fruits and vegetables. The green peppers are shriveled, the bananas are more brown than yellow, the oranges are picked over.
(At a Safeway on Bradley Boulevard in Bethesda, the wheat bread costs $1.19, and white bread is on sale for $1. A gallon of milk costs $3.49 — $2.99 if you buy two gallons. A pound of butter is $2.49. Beef bologna is on sale, two packages for $5.)
Read the article, really. It’ll show you why it is so wrong for the county to be piling on at this time, especially for such a small return. Contact your sups or county_board_recipients@co.dane.wi.us! Ask them not to vote for this tonight. Make sure they realize the impact of this ordinance.
