Today we’d like to introduce you to Paulina Ramirez-Martignon.
Hi Paulina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I migrated permanently to the US at the age of 15. Unfortunately, due to my broken English and undocumented status, I was limited in my education after graduating High School. I began working with attorneys as an intern at the age of 16; I knew I had to allow that to be my law school. I learned how to research in preparation for legal documents and learned how to problem-solve various scenarios. My life was this for the next 12 years.
At the age of 29, I realized I wanted more! I wanted to own a house. I wanted to provide more for my 4-year-old daughter. I wanted to divorce my husband, but I was financially dependent on his “half” of the rent… and after the frustration of not being able to be promoted or land a better-paying job due to the lack of a degree, I decided to venture off on my own. At this time, I had been working for a landlord-tenant law firm for 11 years, where the attorney even jokingly said that I had put his children through college. At that point, I decided to finally make a move for my daughter’s future and mine.
In October 2013, I left my husband, sold everything I owned, leaving only our clothes, and with the money I gathered, I knew I only had three months to “make it” happen on my own.
I opened a small office, MT Evictions. MT for my maiden last name, Martignon, and Evictions, because I wanted a strong word to get people’s attention. My office focused on consulting the local community of landlords, realtors, and investors that frequently would get into trouble with the city for not following tenant rights/rules. I would “fix” their mistakes and get their properties in compliance. I figured I needed to be in a business that needed me… kinda like a plumber is needed, not wanted. Landlords would need me to fix their issues, not wanted. I then decided to learn this law head to toe and get a UDA licensed by the county, an Unlawful Detainer Assistant.
Thereafter, in order to get known, I decided to go “door to door” to offer free educational workshops to relators and tax consultants in order to showcase my knowledge.
Luckily, this approach worked in getting people into my door. My results kept the clients, which created repeated business and new referrals.
Within the first six months, I was able to hire my first employee. This gave me a break from being a one-woman show. Within another four months, I needed a second employee due to the growing volume of clients. At the end of that first year, we were three, by the following year 5, and so forth. Prior to the pandemic, we were 13. With this came having to move office locations 3x to fit our growing team.
I love to give employment opportunities to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of degree or skills. I love to teach as long as they want to learn, grow and be a team.
Unfortunately, the pandemic disrupted my business as it did to many others. Many other companies like mine closed; luckily, we never closed by shifting our business to memberships. In January 2022, we were able to buy a small building, where we are now building our new permanent MT home, and looking forward to providing more comfort to my beautiful MT Team and clients.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had no financing to me available when I wanted to open the office; as such, I had to sell everything, and work that much harder in order to produce money each time we needed to expand.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about MT Evictions?
MT Evictions has been 10 years in the community offering a great deal of experience in Commercial and Residential Eviction rules. We are Rent Control experts in LA City, LA County, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside areas, educating through the complexity of the law in a cost-effective manner.
We are also a consulting hub for potential first-time buyers, educating them about the distinctive rules of each city prior to their investment.
What makes you happy?
Fixing problems, proving jobs, being able to be financially independent, and teaching my daughter and others that hard work is HARD, but it pays off.
Pricing:
- 150 Consulting appointment (credited towards paperwork)
- 75 for follow-up appointments
- 195 monthly membership unlimited consulting and coaching
Contact Info:
- Website: mtevictions.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtevictions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mt.evictions
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/mt-evictions-montebello
