Good evening, frens.
Any Anons here that can offer some advice regarding eviction?
I realize this is completely unrelated to Q/research-but as a loner my options are extremely limited & usually someone here has the answers to just about everything.
I've never been evicted from a place in my life but since I got behind on my rent several months ago (despite making pmts to the property mngmnt company every 2 weeks & trying to keep up with the $175/mo. late fees that they kept shoveling on)they told me just a couple days before Thanksgiving to vacate the premises. I called & asked for clarification (i.e, how long before I have to be out??) and they said on Monday (less than 5 days to pack & find a new place and be out...needless to say that was not feasible and so on the 5th they put the official notice to vacate on my door). So, from what I've learned from my local sheriff's office, they said legally I have approximately 40 days (give or take) from the time of the official notice to be out...so basically I have about 2, maybe 2 weeks left to find another place and get out.
Budgetary problems aside from a moment, part of what I'm seeking guidance on is this: When I asked the girl at the property management company what she would tell a prospective landlord if they were to call her about my rental history, she immediately told me not to put her down as a reference because she said, by law, she would have to tell them that I am in the process of being evicted. Bear in mind I've lived there for 2 1/2 years & have never been a problematic tenant (I'm on my 3rd lease with them-I just fell on hard times over the last 6 months but no issue prior to that).
So a friend whom I've known for over 25 years suggested that I put their name down as my current landlord, put their address as my own, and say that I've been renting a room from them for the last couple of years..and to give a prospective landlord their phone number when they call for recent rental history/reference.

Can anyone here see if/how that could backfire on me...and if so, can you offer an alternative solution?
Bottom line, in all of the depressingly crappy places I've looked at that are within my price range (under $700/mo...and I have 2 30-pound dogs I'm unwilling to part with...it makes it damn near impossible to find a place period-let alone one that isn't in a crime-infested area)the one thing that almost every advertisement states is NO EVICTIONS or NO EVICTIONS WITHIN THE LAST 6 YEARS, etc.

So, if I'm honest & put my actual current property management company down as a reference, prospective landlord 100% finds out I'm in the process of being evicted-that's pretty much game over for me.
If I do as my friend suggests & put down their name, address, etc...I stand the chance of being found out and being rejected for that.
Can anyone here help? I'm sorry to drop this here but I am running out of time and my options are extremely limited as it stands.

Thank you in advance for any advice.
Desperate/worried Anon here.