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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Houle v. Quenneville, 787 A.2d 1258 (2001)

Citation
Houle v. Quenneville, 787 A.2d 1258 (2001)
Parent Document
Houle v. Quenneville, 787 A.2d 1258 (2001)
Jurisdiction
Vermont (state)
Effective Date
2001-11-09

Other Sections in This Document (112)

Full Text

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The Legislature's deliberate omission of a retaliatory presumption evinces its rejection of altering the burden of proof for the affirmative defense of retaliatory eviction in 9 V.S.A. § 4465. See State v. Cattanach, 129 Vt. 57, 60, 271 A.2d 828, 829-30 (1970). We refuse to insert into the statute a presumption expressly rejected by the Legislature. See Shea v. Pilette, 108 Vt. 446, 450, 189 A. 154, 156 (1937) (the courts are not at liberty to supply that which the lawmakers have advertently omitted) (quotations omitted). See also Western Land Office, 220 Cal.Rptr. at 789-90. (By specifically discarding a rebuttable presumption in favor of the tenant, the legislature left on the tenant the burden of proving retaliatory eviction by a preponderance of the evidence.).