Landlord-Tenant—Landlord Disregarded Obligations Under a “So Ordered” Stipulation of Settlement, Repeatedly Failed to Appear at Court Hearings, Disregarded Court Orders and Failed to Respond to Complaints From the Tenant—Court Awarded an 80 Percent Rent Abatement, Found Landlord to Be in Civil Contempt and Awarded Punitive Damages
A landlord had completely disregarded his obligations under a so ordered stipulation of settlement (stipulation), repeatedly failed to appear at court hearings, disregarded the court’s orders and failed to respond to complaints from the tenant or her attorney. The landlord had filed a summary nonpayment petition seeking to evict the tenant and obtain a judgment for past rent. The tenant asserted defenses and counterclaims based on breaches of the warranty of habitability (warranty) and the landlord’s failure to remedy the building’s defects.
