New protections for service members enacted.

Byline: Bill Cresenzo

The impasse between the North Carolina General Assembly and Gov. Roy Cooper hasn't prevented lawmakers from passing several unrelated but significant pieces of legislation. Cooper recently signed into law two bills with important ramifications for the legal profession.

One will protect deployed service members from some penalties regarding leases and contracts; the other has streamlined and more sharply defined the duties of attorneys who are appointed as parent coordinators who help calm custody issues between parents. Both bills passed each chamber of the General Assembly on unanimous votes.

After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, members of the North Carolina National Guard were deployed to help with the recovery.

When they returned, some faced issues with their landlords, said Tom Murry, a captain and Judicial Advocate General with the NCNG's Legal Assistance Program. They had left for deployment not knowing how long they would be off the mainland. When they came back, some found that their leases had expired and their landlords did not renew them.

Under the North Carolina Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which Cooper signed into law on July 25, landlords cannot terminate leases for National Guard members on long-term state active duty without their permission. NCNG members on state active duty can also end cell phone contracts without penalty and take work leave without using vacation time.

"The members of our National Guard and Reserve need to be able to focus on their mission, not worry about financial or legal issues that arise back at home because of their public service," Cooper said.

Murry cited the case of one service member who came back from deployment to find his apartment empty.

"His stuff ended up in storage when he came back from active duty," he said.

Murry said that he and others in his office worked with stakeholders, including the North Carolina Board of Realtors, to craft the law. The law doesn't mean that service members don't have to pay the rent they owe--the law protects only service members who are in good standing with their landlords. The act also fully incorporates the federal version of the SCRA into state law.

Parent coordinators empowered

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