Case Title: Vermont Tenants, Inc. v. VT Housing Finance Agency

Citation: 170 Vt. 77, 742 A.2d 745

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 1999-10-08T00:00:00Z

Document:
Vermont Tenants, Inc. v. VT Housing Finance Agency (98-405); 170 Vt. 77; 
742 A.2d 745

[Filed 08-Oct-1999]

       NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to motions for reargument under
  V.R.A.P. 40 as well as  formal revision before publication in the Vermont
  Reports.  Readers are requested to notify the  Reporter of Decisions,
  Vermont Supreme Court, 109 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0801 of
  any errors in order that corrections may be made before this opinion goes
  to press.

                                 No. 98-405

Vermont Tenants, Inc., et al.	                 Supreme Court

	                                         On Appeal from
     v.		                                 Chittenden Superior Court

Vermont Housing Finance Agency, et al.	         April Term, 1999

Linda Levitt, J.

       Geoffrey Walsh and Stephen Norman, Vermont Legal Aid, Inc.,
  Burlington, for Plaintiffs-Appellants.

       Glenn A. Jarrett, Burlington, for Defendant-Appellee Vermont Housing
  Finance Agency.

       John A. Serafino and Elizabeth A. Glynn of Ryan Smith & Carbine, Ltd.,
  Rutland, for Defendant-Appellee First Vermont Bank.

PRESENT:  Amestoy, C.J., Dooley, Morse, Johnson and Skoglund, JJ.

       DOOLEY, J.  This case concerns two residential tenants who had the
  misfortune of  leasing property without knowing it was the subject of
  strict mortgage foreclosure.  At issue is  whether Vermont's Residential
  Rental Agreements Act (RRAA), 1985, No. 175 (Adj. Sess.),  codified as
  amended in relevant part as 9 V.S.A. §§ 4451-69, prohibits the eviction of
  such  tenants when they have entered into rental agreements after the
  commencement of foreclosure  proceedings but before the expiration of the
  redemption period.  The superior court answered the  question in the
  negative and dismissed their action for failure to state a valid claim
  under  V.R.C.P. 12(b)(6).  We agree and affirm.

 

       This action was commenced by Vermont Tenants, Inc., a statewide
  advocacy  organization, and two former tenants, Heather Gross and Aaron
  Prince, who were evicted by  mortgagees who acquired title to the property
  in which they resided by strict foreclosure.  (FN1)  The defendants are the
  Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) and First Vermont Bank  (FVB),
  mortgagees of the two properties at issue.  The case never moved beyond
  plaintiffs'  complaint, and the motions to dismiss it.  Accordingly, for
  purposes of this appeal, we assume  all factual allegations in the
  complaint are true.  See Richards v. Town of Norwich, ___ Vt. ___,  ___,