Case Title: Linardon v. WoodSpring Suites Boston MA Saugus, LLC

Citation: 

Docket Number: SJC-13256

State: massachusetts

Court: Massachusetts Supreme Court

Date: 2022-07-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
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SJC-13256 
 
KELECHI LINARDON  vs.  WOODSPRING SUITES BOSTON MA SAUGUS, LLC. 
 
 
July 26, 2022. 
 
 
Supreme Judicial Court, Superintendence of inferior courts.  
Practice, Civil, Summary process, Judgment, Execution, Stay 
of proceedings. 
 
 
Kelechi Linardon appeals from an order of a single justice 
of this court lifting a stay of execution of a judgment of the 
Housing Court, which awarded possession of the housing that 
Linardon currently occupies in a long-term residential hotel to 
WoodSpring Suites Boston MA Saugus, LLC (WoodSpring Suites).1  We 
affirm. 
 
The Housing Court judge issued his findings and order on 
February 22, 2019, and final judgment entered on February 25, 
2019.  Linardon subsequently filed a motion for reconsideration, 
which was denied (except as to reconsideration of certain 
findings of fact not relevant here) on March 29, 2019.  Linardon 
appealed to the Appeals Court from the Housing Court's judgment 
and from the order denying in part her motion for 
reconsideration.  Linardon filed motions for a stay of execution 
pending appeal, first in the Housing Court and then in the 
Appeals Court, neither of which was successful.  Linardon then 
filed a petition for relief in the county court pursuant to 
G. L. c. 211, § 3, asking the court to stay execution of the 
 
 
1 Although Linardon commenced this action in the county 
court, she is the defendant in the underlying summary process 
action, and WoodSpring Suites is the plaintiff.  See WoodSpring 
Suites Boston MA Saugus, LLC v. Linardon, 100 Mass. App. Ct. 
1116 (2021).  To avoid confusion, we refer to the parties by 
name, rather than party designation. 
2 
 
 
 
Housing Court judgment and to waive the appeal bond.  A single 
justice of this court granted certain relief, including, 
eventually, a stay of execution "pending resolution of 
[Linardon's] appeal," provided that Linardon make timely use and 
occupancy payments, as ordered by the single justice. 
 
On December 9, 2021, the Appeals Court issued a decision 
affirming the February 25, 2019, Housing Court judgment and the 
March 29, 2019, order denying in part Linardon's motion for 
reconsideration.  See WoodSpring Suites Boston MA Saugus, LLC v. 
Linardon, 100 Mass. App. Ct. 1116 (2021).  Then, on March 8, 
2022, WoodSpring Suites filed a motion to lift the stay of 
execution in the county court, as Linardon's appeal had 
terminated.  The single justice granted the motion in an order 
dated March 21, 2022.  Linardon timely appealed. 
 
On April 8, 2022, Linardon moved for a stay of execution 
pending the resolution of this appeal, which this court denied.  
Over two months later, on June 27, 2022, while this appeal was 
pending, Linardon filed a motion to file a late application for 
further appellate review of the Appeals Court's December 9, 
2021, decision affirming the Housing Court judgment. 
 
The sole issue in the appeal before us is whether the 
single justice abused his discretion in lifting the stay of 
execution on March 21, 2022.  We think it plain that he did not.  
The stay at issue was entered by a single justice of this court 
"pending resolution of [Linardon's] appeal" in the summary 
process action.  As of the time the single justice entered the 
order lifting the stay, the Appeals Court had issued a decision 
affirming the Housing Court's judgment, the time had expired for 
Linardon to seek further appellate review in this court, and the 
Appeals Court had issued its rescript to the Housing Court.  The 
fact that Linardon has now moved, months later, for leave to 
file a late application for further appellate review of the 
Appeals Court's decision does not transform the single justice's 
ruling into an abuse of discretion. 
 
The March 21, 2022, order of the single justice lifting the 
stay of execution is affirmed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So ordered. 
 
 
 
The case was submitted on briefs. 
 
Kelechi Linardon, pro se. 
 
Albert A. DeNapoli for the respondent.