My Roommate Used A Fake Lawyer To Evict Me And Got Me Fired. He Didn’t Realize I Found Proof His Girlfriend Had A Secret Apartment. Now They Owe Me $45,000.

Victory in Court

The continued restraining order hearing happens the next week. I walk into the courthouse with Craig and I feel completely different from the first time. Last time I was alone and scared with barely any evidence. This time I have a real lawyer, a folder full of proof, and a recording that destroys Brock’s whole story.

Brock shows up with a different lawyer this time, not Harrison. Obviously his new lawyer is a woman in an expensive suit who looks unhappy to be there. The judge calls the case and Brock’s lawyer immediately stands up and asks to withdraw the request for a restraining order, but the judge doesn’t let her. He says he wants answers about what’s been going on with this case.

He mentions that the court received notice about a bar investigation and a criminal investigation related to the original removal proceedings. He wants to know what’s happening before he dismisses anything. Craig stands up and asks permission to present evidence. The judge nods. Craig walks through everything. He shows the utility bills proving Sienna lived at Riverside Gardens the whole time. He plays parts of the recording where Brock admits Harrison isn’t a licensed lawyer and admits Sienna kept her other apartment.

He presents the neighbor statements confirming Sienna’s real address. He explains how Harrison presented himself as an attorney and made false legal claims to threaten me with illegal removal. The judge’s face gets harder as Craig talks. Brock’s lawyer tries to interrupt a few times, but the judge tells her to wait.

When Craig finishes, the judge asks Brock’s lawyer if she has anything to say. She starts talking about how her client was misled by bad legal advice, but the judge cuts her off. He says the recording makes it clear Brock knew Harrison wasn’t licensed and knew Sienna lived elsewhere. The judge denies the restraining order request completely. Then he makes comments about wasting the court’s time with fake claims and says he’s referring the matter to the prosecutor’s office as well.

Brock looks pale as we leave the courtroom. His lawyer won’t even look at him. Craig files our lawsuit the very next day. I sit in his office while he finalizes the paperwork. We’re suing Brock, Sienna, and Harrison together for everything they did. The lawsuit lists it all out: pain and suffering from the emotional harm they caused, lost wages from my job firing based on their made-up text messages, the costs I paid fighting their fake removal attempt, and punishment damages for planning fraud together.

The lawsuit is 30 pages long and it tells the whole story in detail. How Sienna moved in without paying anything. How I tried to handle it reasonably. How they responded by setting up the fake lawyer meeting. How Harrison presented himself as an attorney when he had no license. How they made false claims about tenant law. How they created fake text messages that got me fired. How they destroyed my relationship with my parents by sending them the made-up screenshots. How they filed a fake restraining order to force me out before I could defend myself.

Craig explains that we’re asking for $50,000 in total damages, but we might get more or less depending on what the jury decides. The important thing is getting everything on the record in a legal filing. We’re not hiding anymore. We’re going after them in public court documents that anyone can read. Craig files the lawsuit electronically and serves copies to Brock, Sienna, and Harrison through a professional process server. Now they all officially know they’re being sued.

The Settlement

Within a week, I get served with papers at my apartment. A process server hands me a thick envelope and has me sign for it. Inside is a settlement offer from Brock’s lawyer. I read through it with my hands shaking a little. They want to settle the whole thing before it goes to discovery and depositions.

Discovery is where both sides have to hand over all their evidence and answer questions under oath. Depositions are where lawyers question people while they’re sworn in. Brock clearly doesn’t want any of that happening. The offer is for $15,000. In exchange, I have to agree to move out voluntarily within 60 days and sign a paper saying I won’t talk about what happened. The money would be paid in one lump sum within 10 days of signing.

I call Craig immediately and read him the offer over the phone. He’s quiet for a minute and then says we should meet to discuss it. I drive to his office that same afternoon. Craig has the settlement offer printed out on his desk. He explains that $15,000 isn’t bad money, especially for someone in my financial situation. But he thinks we can get a lot more if we push forward with the lawsuit.

The evidence is strongly in our favor. We have the recording of Brock’s admissions. We have proof Sienna never lived with us. We have documentation of Harrison’s fake lawyer act. Plus there’s a criminal investigation happening at the same time, which puts even more pressure on them to settle. Craig’s advice is that we can probably get double or triple that amount if we counteroffer and show we’re serious about going to trial.

He also points out that making me move out shouldn’t be part of any settlement. I’m the one who’s been wronged here. Why should I have to leave my home? The not talking condition is standard in settlements, but Craig thinks we can negotiate better terms there too. He suggests we reject this offer and send back our own demands.

I trust Craig’s judgment. He’s been right about everything so far. I tell Craig I’m rejecting their offer. I’m not covering up what they did to me and I’m definitely not moving out of my own apartment after everything they put me through. Craig nods and starts typing immediately on his laptop. He’s drafting our counter demand right there while I watch.

$50,000 in damages. Brock and Sienna move out within 30 days, not me. Written admissions of the entire fraud scheme that I can show my parents and my former employer, and absolutely no non-disclosure agreement. We’re not negotiating my silence. Craig prints out the counter demand and has me review it before he sends it. The language is clear and direct. We’re not asking, we’re demanding.

He emails it to Brock’s attorney that same afternoon. I leave his office feeling like I finally have some power back in this situation. The next week brings news that changes everything. Craig calls me on a Wednesday morning sounding energized. The district attorney’s office just filed criminal charges against Harrison for unauthorized practice of law and fraud. It’s official now. Harrison is facing actual criminal prosecution for pretending to be an attorney and using that fake authority to threaten me.

The charges include fraud, impersonation of a legal professional, and conspiracy to commit illegal eviction. Craig explains that this puts enormous pressure on Brock and Sienna because they’re connected to Harrison’s criminal case. The news spreads through the local legal community fast. Craig hears from other attorneys that Harrison’s case is being talked about as a warning example.

Two days after the criminal charges are filed, I get a call from Hank. He saw something online and wanted to give me a heads-up. Sienna’s employer found out about the false HR complaint she filed against me. Someone at my former company must have talked to someone at her company, Corporate World Connections. Her employer launched an internal investigation into whether Sienna had fabricated evidence and filed a false harassment complaint to damage someone’s career.

The investigation took less than a week. Sienna was terminated for serious misconduct and ethics violations. Hank sends me a screenshot of a post from someone who works at Sienna’s company talking about the firing. The irony isn’t lost on me. She got me fired with fake evidence and now she’s fired for making fake evidence. Everything they tried to do to me is coming back on them.

Craig keeps me updated on the civil case preparation. We’re scheduled for a court date in 6 weeks. He’s preparing for depositions and discovery. Brock’s attorney knows we have strong evidence and a criminal case backing up our fraud claims. The pressure is building on their side.

Two weeks before our court date, Craig calls me with news. Brock’s attorney sent a revised settlement offer. I drive to Craig’s office immediately to review it. The new offer is $45,000. They’ll provide written admissions I can share with specific parties, including my parents and my former employer. Brock will move out of the apartment within 45 days. The only condition is that I don’t speak to media about the case. No interviews, no social media posts about the details, no public statements.

Craig sits back in his chair and looks at me seriously. He thinks I should take this offer. We’ve won everything that actually matters. The money is substantial. The written admissions give me what I need to clear my name with my family and my former employer. Brock moving out means I keep my home. The media restriction is standard and doesn’t prevent me from telling people in my personal life what happened. If we go to trial, we might get more money but we might get less. Trials are unpredictable. This offer gives me certainty and closure.