Had an eviction filing harm you? You might be able to expunge it from your record.

Tenants across Indiana who have had evictions filed against them that were dismissed, ruled in their favor, or overturned on appeal can now have the eviction filing expunged from their record.

This is the result of an eviction expungement bill, Indiana House Enrolled Act 1214, unanimously passed by the Indiana state legislature earlier this year, which took effect on July 1.

Eviction filings can haunt tenants for years, following them around like a 'Scarlet E' — a phrase often used by housing advocates to describe the stigma and difficulty tenants face when trying to find housing after an eviction is filed against them.

For subscribers: As Indy housing agency faces financial crisis, residents suffer the brunt of its neglect.

Landlords often conduct background checks on tenants, which surface eviction filings and can deter potential landlords from renting to a tenant, even if the tenant's past eviction case was ultimately dismissed.

To seal an eviction filing, tenants must fill out a form and submit it to the court where the case was filed. They can obtain a copy of the form at indianalegalhelp.org, which is a project of the Indiana Supreme Court, or ask the court where their case was filed and what they need to do to seal the eviction.

An eviction filing can be expunged only if there is no judgement issued by the court that says the tenant owes the landlord money in the eviction case.

For subscribers: 'I'm not moving.' Riverside residents worry as gentrification looms alongside 16 Tech

Tenants who need help completing the eviction expungement paperwork can contact Indiana Legal Services, which assists eligible low-income tenants with free legal aid.

Tenants can seal an eviction retroactively, meaning that they can do so regardless of what year the eviction was filed as long as it meets the above criteria.

It is important to note that this new law does not apply to cases where a tenant was evicted.

"This is meant to allow tenants who shouldn’t be punished for an eviction where they weren’t actually evicted, or otherwise figured things out with their landlord before they were evicted," Indiana Legal Services interim housing law center director Andrew Thomas said.

Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana evictions: New law helps conceal evictions from records