An Eviction I Didn’t Know I Had

Location: greater Cleveland, Ohio, united states

Yesterday, I applied for an apartment guarantor. I was shocked to find out that I was denied because of my eviction. I had never been evicted before!

Find out that it’s an apartment I left early In May of 2025. I got a job in another state.

I notified them I was leaving 3 months before the end of the lease, which would have been August 2025.

(I may use the wrong words here)

They filed the eviction in July 2025 and I was served by bailiff twice.

I was living in California the entire time. I never got notice of any of this.

I got a default judgement against me because I didn’t show up to court. Case closed in August 2025.

I called the clerk of courts and they said there’s no money involved, apparently they just wanted me out? Which I’m a bit confused by because I wasn’t even living there and they knew that.

I contacted the lawyer by email and sent him the paperwork establishing residency in another state with my other lease in California and my job start paperwork to show that I was never served. New lease started June 1 & job start date says May 20th.

Obviously I’m freaking out because an eviction makes it near impossible to rent anywhere else, I was almost never late on rent (I won’t lie there was once), and I was a clean, quiet tenant. I have no idea what happened here. Especially because there’s no money involved in the eviction case.

Is there anything else I can or should be doing right now? I cannot afford a lawyer so I’m on my own for this one.

Edit to add: unfortunately all communication with landlord about leaving early was in person