Scalzo v. Anderson

275 N.W.2d 894, 87 Wis. 2d 834, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 1894
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 1979
Docket76-404
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 275 N.W.2d 894 (Scalzo v. Anderson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scalzo v. Anderson, 275 N.W.2d 894, 87 Wis. 2d 834, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 1894 (Wis. 1979).

Opinion

COFFEY, J.

This appeal challenges the circuit court order dismissing the appeals of the respective appellants from the Kenosha county court. The circuit court order dated November 10, 1976 also affirmed the judgments of CLARENCE G. TRAEGER, County Judge.

The appellants in this action were tenants in a mobile home park operated by the respondent. Each appellant owned a mobile home and rented a lot from the respondent under essentially identical leases. In October, 1974 appellants, Anderson and Brendum, were served with termination of tenancy notices informing them that their *839 month-to-month tenancies were being terminated effective November 30, 1974. The reasons for the termination of tenancy given in the notices were: (1) the tenants’ violation of Park Rules incorporated into the lease agreement, the alleged violation resulting from a failure to supervise their children, and (2) failure to reimburse the landlord for damages caused by the appellants’ children, thus in violation of the lease agreement.

The remaining appellants, the Peters, Slaytons and Seiler, were served with termination of tenancy notices on December 2, 1974, effective on the 31st day of December, 1974. The reason given for the termination was the refusal of the tenants to comply with park rules concerning the removal of trailer hitches in conformity with a clause in the lease agreement adopting set back requirements. The respondent stated in answers to interrogatories the rule is necessary because mobile homes are subject to a City of Kenosha ordinance detailing set back requirements.

On December 4, 1974 respondent commenced an eviction action against Anderson and Brendum under ch. 299, Stats., in the Small Claims Court for Kenosha County seeking restitution of the premises, unpaid rent and taxes and double damages pursuant to ch. 704 for the tenants after termination. The amended complaint also sought additional money damages for his costs in maintaining the actions, including reasonable attorneys’ fees as provided in the terms of the lease agreements. Similar eviction actions were initiated January 6, 1975 against the Peters, Slaytons and Seiler.

The answers of the appellants asserted the following: (1) denied that the respondent was the owner of the leased property; (2) denied that they had agreed orally to pay $65.00 per month rent. [The written leases set rent at $42.00. The increase was provided for in a subsequent oral agreement and this greater amount had been paid by each appellant without protest before the *840 commencement of the lawsuit] ; (3) denied information sufficient to form a belief as to whether the termination notices had been served as alleged; (4) denied that they had failed to conform with the terms of the leases; and (5) denied that there were any damages due the respondent for unpaid rent and taxes for their holdover after termination, or for costs. The answers also interposed affirmative defenses alleging that the respondent: (1) failed to comply with his responsibilities as specified in the lease agreements; (2) engaged in “unfair trade practices and methods of competition”; and (3) was attempting to terminate the tenancies for reasons which were untrue or so unreasonable as to be an “unfair trade practice.”

Counterclaims were filed requesting damages in the amounts of $10,000. The counterclaims allege that: (1) the respondent had charged more rent than recited in the written lease agreement; (2) the respondent had engaged in unfair trade practices by charging a $250 installation fee; (3) respondent had made representations to appellants that they could occupy their mobile homes for life after purchase of the homes from the respondent, and that appellants entered into the lease agreement in reliance upon such representations. [It should be noted, however, there are no allegations in the Peters’, Slaytons’ and Seiler’s counterclaims that they had purchased their mobile homes from respondent]; and (4) the respondent had interfered with appellants’ quiet and peaceable enjoyment of the premises by harassing them and wrongfully attempting to evict them.

In a pretrial hearing conducted in the actions against Anderson and Brendum on January 13, 1975, the parties stipulated before MICHAEL- FISHER, County Judge of Kenosha County, Branch 2, that the actions be consolidated with the remaining actions which had been assigned to Branch 3. BURTON A. SCOTT, County Judge, Branch 3, was informed of and consented to this *841 stipulation at the February 7, 1975 pretrial hearing in the actions against the Peters, Slaytons and Seiler.

The respondent moved for summary judgment against each appellant on the first cause of action for restitution of the premises. Affidavits were submitted in support of this motion, and argued before Judge Fisher on March 21, 1975. The appellants submitted a brief and letter memorandum in opposition to the motion; thereupon the court denied the respondent’s motion.

The case was subsequently assigned to Judge Traeger who, at an October 6th hearing, made the following findings: (1) the appellants in this action were occupying the premises as holdovers from the date their tenancies were terminated and further had not paid the monthly parking permit fees assessed pursuant to the City of Kenosha ordinance; (2) as a result of the appellants’ refusal to pay the delinquent parking fees, the respondent was forced to pay the delinquent fees; (3) the respondent sought double rent damages under sec. 704.27, Stats., as damages for the appellants’ failure to timely vacate the premises and (4) the respondent’s financial losses (damages) were increasing at a substantial rate pending the outcome of the litigation.

At a subsequent hearing on the 24th of February, 1975, the court directed that within three weeks after service of the order on the appellants’ attorney each appellant was to deposit with the court: (1) double the monthly rent for each month since the commencement of the actions to the date of judgment, or until the appellants vacate the premises. [The double rent damages were to be computed at the $42.00 per month figure becited in the terms of the written lease]; (2) the monthly parking permit fees assessed pursuant to the Kenosha City ordinance for each month from the date of commencement of the actions until either the date of judgment or until appellants vacate the premises; and (3) $250 toward respondent’s costs. The order *842 further provided upon the appellants’ failure to deposit the security in the time specified, the court after proper notice and motion will strike the answers of the respective appellants and grant the respondent default judgment.

This pretrial order also dismissed the appellants' counterclaims. The court stated, pursuant to sec. 299.02, Stats., that the allegations set forth in the counterclaims were based upon matters not arising out of the same transaction or occurrence in the subject matter of the respondent’s claim. Additionally, that the counterclaims were in excess of the limited jurisdiction ($500) of the Small Claims Court, sec. 299.04(4), Stats. 1973.

The appellants moved to vacate, or in the alternative, modify this order.

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Bluebook (online)
275 N.W.2d 894, 87 Wis. 2d 834, 1979 Wisc. LEXIS 1894, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scalzo-v-anderson-wis-1979.