Benedict College Student Awarded $692,000 After Landlord Illegally Disposes of Possessions
COLUMBIA, S.C. — In a legal battle that underscored the rights of tenants, a jury awarded $692,000 to a Benedict College student after his landlord threw out his belongings. The landmark decision arrived this week after extensive testimonies and deliberations, spotlighting a distressing clash between tenant rights and property management. Andrew Smith, a senior at the historically Black college, returned from summer break to find his apartment cleared out: clothes, textbooks, and personal keepsakes discarded by his landlord, who claimed Smith had abandoned the property. Smith argued that he was merely away for the summer … Read more