LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. — So-called "self-help evictions" are illegal and involve landlords trying to get tenants to move out by shutting off their utilities or changing the locks on their doors.
When a Lake Worth Beach landlord had power and water shut off at the home of a 6-month-old baby girl, her father called Contact 5.
The residents of the home said they dealt with sweltering heat and no running water for two days.
Angelica Paul struggled to help keep her 6-month-old daughter, Christina, comfortable.
"I have a child here, and it's hot in the house," the young mother said. "It's horrible, just like, ugh."
Contact 5 confirmed with Lake Worth Beach Utilities that the landlord had electricity and water shut off Tuesday.
"It was like a slap in the face," the baby's uncle, Johny Paul, said. "How would you feel if it happened to you?"
The family believes they're victims of a "self-help eviction."
To be legal, all evictions must be court-approved.
Contact 5 found looked at court records and found no evidence the landlord even filed paperwork to start the eviction process.
Under Florida law, that makes the water and electric shut-off in Lake Worth Beach illegal.
With no electricity, baby Christina sweltered in the hot house. So, to keep her cool, her mother brought her out to the car, turned it on, and sat with the baby in the air-conditioned car for about a half hour.
When electricity came back Thursday afternoon, it was too late to prevent a freezer full of food from spoiling.
As for water, they piped some in from a neighbor's home to their bathroom with a garden hose to stay comfortable.
"(We) try to take a quick bath or fill up the toilet up to use the bathroom, so, this is what we were doing right here," Christina's father, Jermaine Simpson, said.
Contact 5 called and texted the landlord, wanting to know why she had utilities shut off, and what prompted her to turn them back on shortly after we made calls to her and Lake Worth Beach Utilities.
Simpson believes his call to WPTV started the process of getting water and electricity restored.
"You came out, you did your research, you helped us, and I'm really thankful for that," Simpson said.
One other question we wanted to ask the landlord: Would she reimburse the family for the food and baby formula that spoiled when the house went without electricity?
The landlord is not returning our calls and texts.
If you feel like you've been a victim of a self-help eviction, below are links to local legal aid societies in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
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