Landlord

Oregon Supreme Court Reduces $20.3 Million Jury Award to $5.3 Million in Landlord Negligence Case

by

Portland, Oregon – The Oregon Supreme Court has overturned a jury’s decision to award a Portland man $20.3 million in a lawsuit against his apartment complex. Robert Trebelhorn sued the complex after he injured his knee when it punched through a rotten wooden walkway. The high court deemed the jury’s award to be “grossly excessive” and instead reduced it to about $5.3 million in punitive damages and $300,000 in compensatory damages. State law mandates that 70% of punitive damages go towards crime victims compensation and courthouse funds. The ruling by the Supreme Court reflects a … Read more

Laborer Stabbed in St. Louis Rooming House: Attorney Ryan Gavin Wins $1.8 Million Judgment Against Landlord

by

St. Louis, Missouri – Nine months before the City of St. Louis took legal action against Dara Daugherty and her associates for their “illegal rooming house” scheme, attorney Ryan Gavin had already won a $1.8 million judgment against her. Gavin filed a lawsuit in April 2023 on behalf of James Cole, a tenant who had rented a room from Daugherty in the Benton Park West neighborhood. The lawsuit alleged that Daugherty provided unsafe living conditions and failed to take necessary precautions in screening tenants. Cole was stabbed on the property by another tenant. During the … Read more

Founder of Anti-Eviction Non-Profit Admits to Authorizing Mocking Website Targeting Landlord Law Firm

by

PASADENA, Calif. — A founder and leader of BASTA, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles County that advocates for jury trials in unlawful detainer cases, testified on Friday that he authorized the purchase of the domain name dennisblock.com. The website was used to mock and criticize one of the county’s major law firms representing landlords. During a jury trial involving invasion of privacy and libel claims brought by Dennis P. Block and Associates against Daniel J. Bramzon, BASTA, and contractor Brett Schulte, Bramzon admitted from the witness stand that he gave permission for the purchase … Read more

Tenant Triumphs: Jury Grants $1.3M to Victim of ‘Catnapping’ by Unscrupulous Portland Landlord

by

PORTLAND, Ore. – A jury has awarded $1.3 million to a man whose cat was allegedly stolen by his landlord in Portland. The verdict comes after a long legal battle between the tenant, Michael Smith, and his former landlord, John Thompson. According to court documents, Smith claimed that Thompson “catnapped” his beloved pet, named Whiskers, when he moved out of the rental property. Smith accused Thompson of intentionally withholding the cat to punish him for not paying rent on time. During the trial, Smith testified that he had a strong bond with Whiskers and that … Read more