A forcible entry and detainer is a legal action that a landlord (or new property owner) can take in order to recover possession of property that is in wrongful possession by another, when that occupant refuses to leave after the appropriate notice. This often happens after nonpayment of rent or after a person buys a property at a foreclosure auction and has to evict the current owner. A Homeowner Association can file a forcible detainer / eviction for nonpayment of HOA dues as well. Our Forcible Detainer Database shows the initial filing, and not the outcome.