Common questions

Nothing upfront — ever. Bowlay Law works exclusively on contingency, which means you only pay if we win your case. Our fee comes out of the settlement or judgment. If we do not win, you owe nothing.

A wrongful eviction happens when a landlord gets a tenant to leave through means that are not legally valid. This could mean issuing a notice that has no legitimate legal basis, misrepresenting the reason for the eviction, making the unit unlivable, or pressuring a tenant to leave without going through the proper legal process. You may have a wrongful eviction claim even if you already moved out.

Not necessarily. Some claims arise while you are still in the unit — for example, if your landlord is harassing you, refusing to make repairs, or has raised your rent illegally. We can discuss your situation regardless of whether you are still living there.

The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) is a California state law enacted in 2020 that limits rent increases and requires landlords to have a valid 'just cause' reason before evicting most long-term tenants. It applies to units that are at least 15 years old and not subject to a stricter local ordinance. It generally covers tenants who have lived in the same unit for more than 12 months.

Local rent control ordinances — in cities like San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Jose, and Santa Barbara — often offer stronger protections than the state Tenant Protection Act. Local ordinances typically have stricter caps on rent increases, require just-cause for evictions with fewer exemptions, and may allow for treble (triple) damages and mandatory attorney's fees when a landlord violates the rules. If you live in one of these cities, your case may be significantly more valuable.

Most local rent ordinances have a statute of limitations of approximately one year from the date of the wrongful act. This means if your landlord wrongfully evicted you or violated rent control more than 12 months ago, your legal options may be very limited. If something happened recently, it is important to reach out as soon as possible.

Bowlay Law is licensed in California and can represent tenants anywhere in the state, as long as the case is a strong fit. We handle cases in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Berkeley, San Jose, Santa Barbara, and throughout California. The best cases tend to be in cities with strong local rent ordinances.

It depends. Shorter tenancies are generally harder to bring under the Tenant Protection Act, but local ordinances sometimes have different rules. There may also be other legal theories that apply depending on your situation. It is worth a conversation — reach out and describe what happened.

Anything you have helps, but do not let a lack of documents stop you from reaching out. Useful things include: your lease or rental agreement, any notices you received from your landlord, text messages or emails with your landlord, a timeline of what happened, and photos of the unit if relevant. If you do not have all of this, we can still have a productive conversation.

Cody will give you a call, typically within one business day. The call is free, low-pressure, and designed to help both of you understand whether the case is a good fit. If it is, Cody will explain next steps. Even if he cannot take your case, he will do his best to point you in a useful direction.

Yes. Because Bowlay Law works on contingency, we only take cases where we genuinely believe there is a strong chance of recovery. If Cody does not think the case is worth pursuing, he will tell you that honestly — and explain why.