Odyssey’s Bumpy Landing in Mecklenburg County

Since the Mecklenburg County Odyssey rollout on October 9, the online court system has been anything but efficient. Rental housing providers have experienced numerous headaches, specifically regarding the status of their rent bond payments. With the acknowledged staffing shortages in the Clerk of Court (COC)’s office, rent bond payments are not being updated in Odyssey. To make matters worse, the COC hasn’t been able to answer all phone calls, making it difficult for rental housing providers to get answers. When some rental housing providers go in person to the courthouse, they are told the Clerks can’t see the updated rent bond status. Yet, rental housing providers keep getting Writ of Possessions denied, for appeals where the resident fails to pay the rent bond, because of “defendant payment in full.”

As if that wasn’t bad enough some COC staff have also been providing legal advice to residents by recommending, they file a Temporary Restraining Order so they can stay in their units longer. This unauthorized practice of law should cause a raised eyebrow to anyone dealing with the COC’s office.

It's obvious staffing shortages are preventing the COC’s office from being successful and providing quality customer service that citizens have become accustomed to over the decades. Rental housing providers remain hopeful that their issues with the COC’S office will be quickly resolved. Citizens who have lost loved ones are also optimistic that their estate issues will be fixed in a timely fashion. Let’s come together and provide our local court system with the necessary tools needed to be successful.