Eviction Defense Attorney for Los Angeles and Orange County

An eviction notice does not mean you have to leave, and a summons does not mean you have lost. It means a clock has started. Fred Yadegar defends tenants, former owners still living in a home after a trustee’s sale, and tenants in foreclosed buildings throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County.

The one date that matters most

Since January 1, 2025, a tenant served with an unlawful detainer summons has 10 court days to file a written response (Code Civ. Proc. §1167, amended by AB 2347). Court days skip weekends and court holidays. Before 2025 it was five days.

Miss it and the landlord can take a default judgment for possession without anyone hearing your side. Send us the summons and proof of service and we count the days for you.

Decoding the notice on your door

• 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. The three days skip weekends and court holidays, and an overstated amount can void the notice.
• 3-day notice to cure or quit. Three days to fix a claimed lease violation.
• 3-day notice to quit. For claimed nuisance, waste, or unlawful use. Nothing to cure.
• 30-day or 60-day notice. Ends a month-to-month tenancy. After 12 months, the Tenant Protection Act (Civ. Code §1946.2) requires a stated just cause and, for no-fault evictions, relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent.
• 90-day notice after foreclosure. For bona fide tenants; a fixed-term lease generally runs to its end (Code Civ. Proc. §1161b; federal Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act).
• 3-day notice to quit under Code Civ. Proc. §1161a. Served on a former owner after a trustee’s sale. Title changed hands. Possession did not.

The City of Los Angeles adds its own Rent Stabilization and Just Cause ordinances, and some Orange County cities, Santa Ana among them, have local rules. Your city may add protections; we check.

The timeline

Notice period ends. Summons and complaint served. Ten court days to answer, demur, or move to quash. Trial within about 20 days of either side’s request (Code Civ. Proc. §1170.5). Judgment, writ of possession, then the sheriff’s 5-day notice to vacate. Done perfectly, it all takes weeks. It is often not done perfectly, and every misstep is a place to push back.

What a defense actually gets you

Sometimes dismissal: a defective notice, bad service, or a plaintiff who does not actually own the property ends the case, and the landlord starts over. More often the win is negotiated: a move-out date you chose, relocation money, back rent waived, and a dismissal so the court record stays masked (Code Civ. Proc. §1161.2). Sometimes the win is time: a lease honored to its end, or weeks while a new owner redoes a botched notice. We tell you which is realistic in the first conversation.

Who we defend

Tenants served with any notice or summons. The lawsuit, defenses, and settlement options are on our unlawful detainer page.

Former owners still in the home after a trustee’s sale. The new owner must go through the court, step by step: see postponing possession. If the sale brought more than you owed, you may also be owed money: see post-foreclosure assistance.

Tenants in a foreclosed building. Your lease usually survives the sale and you are owed at least 90 days, whatever a 3-day notice says.

What to do right now

• Photograph every notice and envelope, and note the date and how it arrived.
• Do not move out and do not ignore the papers.
• Keep paying rent if you can, and keep proof.
• Call before the tenth court day.

Why call Fred

Eviction defense is deadline work, and Fred handles it himself. He reads the notice, lease, and proof of service before telling you what is realistic, then negotiates from the position landlords respect most: a tenant who filed on time and knows the holes in their case. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll explain your options and costs before you commit to anything.