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569 A.2d 603

Moore v. Porter

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine

Decided February 6, 1990

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine · decided 1990-02-06

Cited by 2 later decisions — most recently May 1995

2 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“2. Remedies. Upon a finding that an illegal eviction has occurred, the court shall take one or both of the following actions. A. The tenant shall recover actual damages or $100, whichever is greater. B. The tenant shall recover the aggregate amount of costs and expenses determined by the court to have been reasonably incurred on his behalf in connection with the prosecution or defense of such action, together with a reasonable amount for attorneys’ fees.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Rodriguez v. Tomes

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1990-02-06

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

WATHEN, Justice.

¶1Plaintiff Cynthia Moore appeals from a decision of the Superior Court (Androscog-gin County, Delahanty, J.) affirming an order of the District Court (Lewiston, Clapp, J.) denying her petition for attorney fees. Plaintiff filed suit in District Court seeking an injunction and damages for illegal eviction pursuant to 14 M.R.S.A. § 6014 (Supp.1988). The court found that an illegal eviction had occurred and entered judgment in favor of plaintiff for $100. Two months later, after the judgment became final, plaintiff’s attorneys petitioned for attorney fees under § 6014(2)(B).1 The District Court denied the petition and found that, in awarding plaintiff the $100, it “was rendering to [her] all which was supported by the evidence submitted by the parties at trial.” On appeal, the Superior Court affirmed the decision holding that plaintiff had waived her claim for attorney fees by not presenting evidence or otherwise preserving the issue at trial. Section 6014 includes attorney fees as an element of relief. We agree with the Superior Court that in the absence of proof or reservation of the issue of fees to a later hearing, plaintiff has failed to establish her entitlement to this form of relief.

¶2The entry is:

¶3Judgment affirmed.

All concurring.

¶4. 14 M.R.S.A. § 6014(2) provides as follows:

Upon a finding that an illegal eviction has occurred, the court shall take one or both of the following actions.
A. The tenant shall recover actual damages or $100, whichever is greater.
B. The tenant shall recover the aggregate amount of costs and expenses determined by the court to have been reasonably incurred on his behalf in connection with the prosecution or defense of such action, together with a reasonable amount for attorneys' fees.
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