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DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Javins v. First National Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (1970)

Citation
Javins v. First National Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (1970)
Parent Document
Javins v. First National Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (1970)
Jurisdiction
DC (municipal)
Effective Date
1970-05-07

Other Sections in This Document (106)

Full Text

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Our approach to the common law of landlord and tenant ought to be aided by principles derived from the consumer protection cases referred to above.41 In a lease contract, a tenant seeks to purchase from his landlord shelter for a specified period of time. The landlord sells housing as a commercial businessman and has much greater opportunity, incentive and capacity to inspect and maintain the condition of his building. Moreover, the tenant must rely upon the skill and bona, fides of his landlord at least as much as a car buyer must rely upon the ear manufacturer. In dealing with major problems, such as heating, plumbing, electrical or structural defects, the tenant’s position corresponds precisely with “the ordinary consumer who cannot be expected to have the knowledge or capacity or even the opportunity to make adequate inspection of mechanical instrumentalities, like automobiles, and to decide for himself whether they are reasonably fit for the designed purpose.” Henningsen v. Bloomfield Motors, Inc., 32 N.J. 358, 375, 161 A.2d 69, 78 (1960).42