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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Gifford v. Sears, 19 Mass. L. Rptr. 716 (2005)

Citation
Gifford v. Sears, 19 Mass. L. Rptr. 716 (2005)
Parent Document
Gifford v. Sears, 19 Mass. L. Rptr. 716 (2005)
Jurisdiction
Massachusetts (state)
Effective Date
2005-08-12

Other Sections in This Document (37)

Full Text

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The parties dispute whether the plaintiff, who is not the tenant and therefore not a party to the lease agreement with the defendants, can maintain a cause of action for personal injuries. The case law in this area is largely unsettled, there are presently no decisions specifically extending or denying to extend the warranty of habitability to guests of tenants injured on rental property. Four Superior Court decisions have split evenly on the issue. In Egenlauf v. Brown, Judge Sosman did not permit the plaintiff to amend the complaint to add a claim for breach of the implied warranty of habitability for injuries she suffered that resulted from the allegedly defective maintenance of the premises. 5 Mass. L. Rptr No. 3, 59 (Jan. 5, 1996). As reasons for the denial, Judge Sosman stated that the plaintiff did not have a cause of action due to the lack of lease or other contractual relationship with the defendant as reason for the denial. Egenlauf, 5 Mass. L. Rptr. No. 3, 59. Similarly, Judge Borenstein allowed a landlord’s motion to dismiss a non-tenant’s claim for breach of the warranty of habitability, thereby declining to extend liability for personal injuries to a tenant’s guest, reasoning that the warranty stems from the contract or lease between the landlord and tenant. Sullivan v. H.H. Gilbert Management Corp., 1997 LEXIS 131 (1997) (Mass.Super. May 16, 1997) (7 Mass. L. Rptr. 291).