Porter v. Boutis
Porter v. Boutis
Opinion of the Court
The complaint in this case was filed March 7, 1946. Answer was filed April 10, 1946. I do not recall why the case was not tried at the July trial session; the file does not reflect the reason, but, at any rate, after several continuances incident to the fall trial session, it has come on to be tried before the Court without a jury on this December 19, 1946. The testimony has been adduced and the cotmsel have argued the merits of their respective positions.
The gravamen of the complaint is the alleged overcharging by the defendant for the period from May 27, 1945, to February 27, 1946, at $75 per month over and above the maximum rent of $40 per month. The basis for the alleged maximum rent of $40 per month is the registration submitted by Mr. Patterson, the rent collector for the defendant. The exact date of his registration is not shown by the copy of the registration which has been filed in evidence as Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1, but as I recall the testimony it was in the early fall of 1943, and the property in the meantime — that is, subsequent to the original registration and before May 27, 1945 — had been rented to, at least, two other parties; that is, separate rooms had been separately rented and ‘the defendant had, herself, occupied the premises for portions of the time subsequent to the original registration and before the date of May 27, 1945.
I agree with counsel for the plaintiff in his contention that good faith is not the criterion by which to determine whether the Chandler Amendment
While I am impressed with the good faith of the defendant in her activities generally
Now I come particularly to the gravamen of the complaint.
The theory of the, plaintiff in the case is that there were two registrations, one of the property as a whole and one of the property singly, so to speak. The theory of the plaintiff is that the defendant should be held to this renting to Mrs. Cox and Mrs. Hogstett on the basis of the original registration by Patterson. I do not think that is sound. I do not think Mrs. Boutis is to be held to this renting on the basis of $40 a month as a maximum rent according to the Patterson registration when she as a matter of fact had taken the matter up with the OPA rental control office and had registered the property in February 1945; and that registration had been acted upon, had been accepted by the Office of Price Administration, had been considered, and it was changed by order of the rent director on March 9, 1945, made retroactive back to December 15,1944. So I can not hold with the plaintiff on the theory of holding her to a maximum rent according to the Patterson registration. If that is to be followed, then she in her dealings, both for the summer period of 1945 and the period from September 1945 until February 27, 1946, would be entitled to have her liability judged by what was the registration made in February 1945. Now the total registration in February, 1945, would render the amount that she did receive, both through Miss Cory and the checks that were sent directly to her, less than the total amount of these two registrations of February 1, 1945. One of them was $12 a week — that would be $48 a month; the other one was $15 a week — that would be $60 a month. I do not think it is really necessary to go into the question of these payments made since September 1945. As to the payments that were made to Betty Cory from May up through August, 1945, the defendant has certainly put herself in the position of disapproving the renting of the property altogether. It is true, when she came back in September, 1945, she may be held to the stamp of approval of what was done because the Hogstett and Cox families remained in there; and there is no showing that she failed to benefit by the payments that went into the joint account during the
I think, u however, that among the several prayers there are certain phases of the matter that should receive favorable consideration. It is not right for this defendant to go hence without some compelling injunctive relief granted the plaintiff of a mandatory nature so that she would know that it was her duty in the future, in the case of renting of the property, to give these tenants copies of the registration ■statement. So the relief that is prayed for in Paragraph A will be granted, such registration being held to be the registration of February 1, 1945.
I think the relief prayed for in Paragraph B is applicable and proper to be granted.
I think the relief prayed for by Paragraph C is proper.
Paragraph D is not proper because Kathryn Hogstett is not now the present tenant.
Paragraph E I think is a proper relief to be granted.
A judgment in accordance with this opinion may be submitted.
The Chandler Amendment or Defense is the proviso in. 50 U.S.C.A. Appendix, § 925(e) reading as follows: “* * * Provided, however, That such amount shall be the amount of the overcharge or overcharges or $25, whichever is greater, if the defendant proves that the violation of the regulation, order, or price schedule in question was neither wilfull nor the result of failure to take practicable precautions against the occurrence of the violation.”
Reference
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- PORTER v. BOUTIS
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