The Justice of the Peace Court is working off a backlog of landlord/tenant cases created by the public health emergency and the various moratoriums on evictions.

The Court will refer Landlord/Tenant cases filed on or after July 1, 2020, to the new Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) system beginning November 2, 2020. Using ODR is the first step in resolving your case. ODR is under construction and being tested.

ODR will:
– Offer Landlords and tenants a way to resolve the case quickly without waiting to go to trial
– Provide trained mediators to help find an agreement
– Assist parties to explore the availability of financial assistance from state and other sources
– Eliminate the need to go to a courthouse

Upon implementation, the Court will provide parties with information on how to access ODR via any device connected to the internet

There are steps you can take right now to settle your case without waiting for ODR.
– Talk to each other to see what might work for both of you
– Tenants can look into financial assistance that may be available from social service organizations listed here: https://www.courts.delaware.gov/jpcourt/docs/DelawareSocialServiceResourceHandout.pdf
– Landlords can contact the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) about the Delaware Housing Assistance Program (DE HAP)
o DE HAP offers rental supplements for qualifying tenants impacted by Covid-19
o Funds are available only through December 31, 2020
o Landlords must make the application
o For more information, contact DSHA at [email protected] or visit the DE HAP website at https://www.destatehousing.com/OtherPrograms/ot_dehap.php
– If you believe that you and the other party may be able to work out an agreement at this time, contact the Court immediately to schedule your case for mediation.

For more information on ODR, visit our Frequently Asked Questions at https://courts.delaware.gov/forms/download.aspx?id=124128