Dallas lawyer takes up mission to help people avoid eviction

Attorney Melton in front of his home in Dallas. Melton has formed a group made up of volunteer attorneys to help people avoid evictions if they can't pay rent due to the pandemic. Photos: AP

Not long after he began posting advice last year for people facing eviction during the pandemic, Mark Melton found himself inundated with phone calls and messages.

“It became apparent really quickly that this was going to be too much of a job for one person, ” said Melton, a Dallas tax attorney who decided to study up on eviction law as Covid-19 began taking an economic toll on Texas residents.