Mott v. Kulesza

1984 Mass. App. Div. 169, 1984 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 1
CourtMassachusetts District Court, Appellate Division
DecidedJuly 12, 1984
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1984 Mass. App. Div. 169 (Mott v. Kulesza) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts District Court, Appellate Division primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mott v. Kulesza, 1984 Mass. App. Div. 169, 1984 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 1 (Mass. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

Lenhoff, J.

This action was originally commenced in the Superior Court for replevin an,d conversion of the plaintiffs business records by the defendant. The plaintiff had sought a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, a permanent injunction and damages. Simultaneously, the plaintiff filed an ex-parte temporary restraining order with a short order of notice resulting in the Superior Court ordering the defendant to deliver to the plaintiff his business records. Thereafter, the case was transferred by the Superior Court to the District Court. G.L.c. 231, §102C

In the District Court, the complaint was amended alleging (1) conversion; (2) a claim for fraud and deceit by reason of the defendant’s failure to pay for the plaintiffs repairing of the defendant’s customer’s car; (3) breach of contract due to defendant’s failure to pay for repairs to said defendant’s customer’s car; (4) action on a check given by the defendant to pay for repairs [170]*170to his customer’s car on which check payment was stopped; and, (5) a Chapter 93A violation, including allegations of said violation having been made in bad faith, willfully and with knowledge.

The defendant filed an answer denying the above complaint, as amended; and, by way of counterclaim, alleged (1) that the plaintiff was indebted to the defendant for unpaid rent and utilities; (2) a violation of G.L. c. 93A based on said claimed unpaid rent and utilities; (3) the wrongful removal, of personal property of the defendant by the plaintiff; (4) a violation of G.L.C. 93A based on said alleged wrongful removal of property, (5) false imprisonment of the defendant by the plaintiif; (6) assault; and (7) violation of G.L.c. 93A by making repairs to a customer’s motor vehicle and not complying withr reulations promulgated by the Attorney General.

The allegations of the defendant’s counterclaim were denied by the plaintiff.

The evidence tended to show that in January 1980, the plaintiff orally agreed to rent from the defendant for a $500 per month rental three bays for the repair of cars located in the rear of the defendant’s building, situate at 222 North King Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was further agreed that the plaintiff would pay the defendant, as additional rent, one half of the cost for the entire building for utilities, gas and electricity.

On January, 1980 the plaintiff paid the defendant $600 for January’s rent plus utilities and a second sum of $600 for the last month’s rent and utilities. Subsequently, the rent was increased to $600 per month, then to $700 per month. However, it was again increased to $850, effective August 1, 1981, which was paid by the plaintiff, under protest.

The remaining portion of the building in which the plaintiff was a tenant was used by the defendant in his business of buying and selling used cars. The parties also had a business relationship with each other, the plaintiff repairing and reconditioing cars purchased by the defendant before re-sale.

On July 14,1981, the defendant asked the plaintiff to look at a vehicle he had sold the previous April to one Carl. The plaintiff determined that a transmission problem existed and informed the owner that the estimated cost of repair would be $150.00. Carl authorized the plaintiff to disassemble the transmission and it was discovered that the fifth gear was stripped. Again, Carl was notified, and the plaintiff was authorized to do the repair work with an estimated cost of $500 according to the plaintiff. The owner, Carl, contended that such estimated cost was $200.00. When the car work was completed, Carl appeared to get her vehicle and was presented with a $566.87 bill. The plaintiff would not release the vehicle until the bill was fully paid. Having offered to pay the bill, the defendant was requested by Carl to issue a check for the repairs. He did so and the car was released. Later that day, Carl experienced the failure of the car to shift out of reverse, causing the car to be towed to another garage. Thereupon, Carl requested the defendant to stop payment of the check and this was done. Carl did not request the plaintiff to repair the car, she having another repairman do so at a cost of $100.00.

The plaintiff has requested Carl to pay the bill, but has never billed her. He did ask the defendant to pay the bill and the defendant responded “That is not my check.”

The increased rental of $850.00 commencing August, 1981 was paid by the plaintiff under protest. On August 5,1981, the plaintiff gave notice terminating his tenancy as of September 30,1981. He paid no rent on September 1,1981. The parties agreed that all rent was paid through August, 1981. It was also [171]*171agreed that the plaintiff paid his share of the utilities through mid-July of 1981 and owes $138.80 as his share for utilities from mid-August, 1981 to the end of the tenancy.

After the plaintiff left his rented premises on September 24, 1981, the defendant and a helper moved three of the defendant’s cars infront of each of the three bays rented to the plaintiff. Upon the plaintiff’s return, he asked the defendant to allow him to get into his part of the garage and the defendant refused, giving as a reason for his action that the September rent was not paid. A resulting argument caused the plaintiff to drive his truck up to the door leading to the defendant’s offices, locking it and leaving it in a parked position. The defendant called the police who requested the plaintiff to move his vehicle from in front of the door. He complied and also took some records from his office.

After both parties left the premises, the plaintiff returned with others. They moved the vehicles from in front of the bays and started to remove equipment. The defendant again on the following Saturday, September 25,1981, while the plaintiff was in the process of moving out, barred the office door, and then left the premises. The plaintiff with help returned to his garage area to remove the balance of equipment. When this area was emptied, they approached the office area to remove his business papers. The defendant stood in the doorway blocking the entrance causing the plaintiff to withdraw. The defendant retained the possession of the plaintiffs business records unitl ordered by the Superior Court to return them on October 1,1981. To obtain such Superior Court order with the resulting compliance therewith restoring the possession of the plaintiffs property to him, the plaintiff expended the sum of $525.00 for legal fees.

The Trial Court made Findings, Rulings and Orders of Judgment. Its findings included all the facts contained in the evidence herein before stated together with a finding that though the plaintiff did not pay his share of the utilities from mid-July, 1981 until .the tenancy’s end, there was no evidence produced as to the amount due between mid-July to mid-August. It also found that no evidence was presented to indicate that the defendant did not have some other means of leaving the premises while and during the time the plaintiffs truck blocked his office door. Said findings also noted that the defendant made no effort to stop the plaintiff from removing any equipment located in the garage area. Further, that evidence was conflicting as to the ownership of said equipment nor its condition; and, no evidence was adduced as to the fair value of all or a part of said equipment.

The Trial Court’s rulings and orders of judgment based on its foregoing findings are as follows:

As to the plaintiffs amended complaint
1.

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1989 Mass. App. Div. 3 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div., 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1984 Mass. App. Div. 169, 1984 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mott-v-kulesza-massdistctapp-1984.