Q: I am dealing with a tenant court case in Mississippi. I rent and need help with defense.
I have been unable to find an attorney who can be with me at the court hearing in a few days. I think I can get the case dismissed at least giving me some time to find and hire an attorney to better represent the case.
From my research, Mississippi Code 89-7-27 states that if non-payment of rent occurs, that the landlord and/or property management company must supply with me, in writing, a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit. The landlord has claimed to have sent this notice to me via email, but I have not received anything. Can I get this case dismissed based on this fact alone?
Also, there is much more involving the case all at the fault of the landlord, but again, I am out of time and trying to get the case dismissed or postponed to give me some time to prepare my case and hire a lawyer.
Thank you ahead of time, I appreciate it.
A: It depends. Different landlords interpret the statutory provisions in their own way. E-mail may suffice, but the better practice is to do it via hand-delivery or certified mail. While it may not necessarily cause the case to be dismissed, it could get it postponed (depends on the judge).
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