Tenants given only five days to move out of their homes at Wayne Township Small Claims Court

At Wayne Township Small Claims Court, tenants are being forced out of their homes just five days after an eviction hearing — one of the harshest timelines in the entire country. 

Judge Gerald Coleman has chosen to impose this standard. Judges have discretion in deciding how much time a tenant has to move after an eviction order. However, many other judges in Marion County give tenants one, two, or even three weeks. Several tenants have reported that Coleman is giving only 5 days. They revealed that they were given 5 days on a Thursday, which is only 3 business days to find a new place to live.

The impact of this timeline is devastating. The majority of households facing eviction in Indianapolis are women, single mothers, people of color, and immigrants. Most include young children. Many are already dealing with health struggles and economic hardship. Forcing families to find and move into new housing in less than a week is not only unreasonable — it’s cruel.

The Indy Housing Project stresses that providing more time is critical to preventing further instability for vulnerable families. Three business days is not enough time for anyone to find a home and move out. This practice is unacceptable.