Title: Ahmed-Kagzi v. Williams
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: SJC-12372
State: Massachusetts
Issuer: Massachusetts Supreme Court
Date: May 15, 2018

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SJC-12372 
 
KULSOON AHMED-KAGZI & others1  vs.  SHAVONNA M. WILLIAMS. 
 
 
May 15, 2018. 
 
 
Unauthorized Practice of Law.  Summary Process.  Practice, 
Civil, Summary process, Standing.  Jurisdiction, Summary 
process, Housing Court.  Housing Court, Jurisdiction.  
Consumer Protection Act, Unfair or deceptive act. 
 
 
 
Over the last decade, Fred Basile, a property manager, has 
by his own admission initiated more than ninety summary process 
cases in his own name or in the name of his sole proprietorship, 
in each case seeking to evict tenants from properties that he 
does not own.  This is one of those cases.  In another of those 
cases, Rental Prop. Mgt. Servs. v. Hatcher, 479 Mass.    ,     
(2018), decided today, we held that Basile had no standing to 
bring a summary process action in his own name when he was 
neither the owner nor the lessor of the property.  We also held 
that, to the extent that he was acting as the agent of the 
property owner, Basile engaged in the unauthorized practice of 
law by signing and filing the complaint because he was not an 
attorney.  Id. at    .  Finally, we held that Basile's conduct 
on its own did not constitute an unfair or deceptive practice in 
violation of G. L. c. 93A.  Id. at    .  For the reasons stated 
in Hatcher, supra, we reach the same conclusions here.2 
 
 
Background.  In 2016, Basile filed a summary process 
complaint in the Housing Court to evict Shavonna Williams from 
                                                          
 
 
1 Rental Property Management Services, Fred Basile, and Ayaz 
G. Kagzi. 
 
 
2 We acknowledge the amicus brief submitted by the Harvard 
Legal Aid Bureau and the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. 
2 
 
 
her home.  Where the complaint form asked for the name of the 
"PLAINTIFF/LANDLORD/OWNER," Basile wrote the name of his sole 
proprietorship:  "Rental Property Management Services."  Where 
the complaint asked for the name and signature of the "Plaintiff 
or Attorney," Basile printed and signed his own name. 
 
 
Williams asserted counterclaims against Basile for the 
unauthorized practice of law and violations of G. L. c. 93A.  In 
answer to Williams' request for admissions, Basile admitted that 
he is neither the owner nor the lessor of the property in which 
Williams resides,3 and that he is not an attorney.  He also 
admitted that since 2007, he has initiated over ninety summary 
process cases in his own name or in the name of Rental Property 
Management Services with respect to properties that he does not 
own. 
 
 
Williams moved for partial summary judgment on her c. 93A 
counterclaims, arguing that by commencing a summary process 
action against her when he was neither the owner nor the lessor 
of the property, and was not an attorney, Basile had committed 
an unfair and deceptive practice in violation of c. 93A.  
Loretta Hatcher, the tenant in Hatcher, 479 Mass. at    , 
brought a similar motion, based on the same conduct by Basile, 
and both motions were argued in the same hearing.  Although the 
cases were not consolidated, the judge ruled on both motions in 
a single order. 
 
 
The judge found that it was undisputed that Basile was not 
the owner or the lessor of the properties at issue, and 
therefore concluded that both cases were subject to dismissal.  
The judge enjoined Basile from commencing summary process 
actions in his own name or in the name of Rental Property 
Management Services with respect to properties he does not own 
or lease.  However, the judge denied the tenants' motions for 
partial summary judgment and entered judgment in favor of Basile 
on the tenants' c. 93A counterclaims, for reasons summarized in 
detail in Hatcher, 479 Mass. at     . 
 
 
Discussion.  This case presents the same legal issues as 
does Hatcher, based on the same conduct by the same individual.  
For all the reasons stated in Hatcher, we hold that Basile did 
not have standing to commence a summary process action in his 
own name against Williams, and that by signing and filing the 
complaint, he engaged in the unauthorized practice of law.  See 
                                                          
 
 
3 The owners of the property, Kulsoon Ahmed-Kagzi and Ayaz 
Kagzi, were later added to the case as plaintiffs. 
3 
 
 
id. at    .  We further hold that his conduct in signing and 
filing the summary process complaint, without more, did not 
violate G. L. c. 93A.  See id. at    .  At the same time, we 
also hold, as we did in Hatcher, that where a plaintiff seeks to 
evict a tenant without the standing to do so, or where a person 
who is not authorized to practice law signs and files a summary 
process complaint -- and where that conduct is not inadvertent 
but by design, or part of a pattern or practice -- a court has 
the inherent authority, in the exercise of its sound discretion, 
to impose appropriate sanctions, including attorney's fees and 
other costs, in order to ensure the fair administration of 
justice and to deter such conduct in the future.  Id. at    . 
 
 
The order denying Williams' motion for partial summary 
judgment and entering judgment in favor of Basile is affirmed, 
and the case is remanded to the Housing Court judge to determine 
whether sanctions are warranted against Basile pursuant to the 
court's inherent power to ensure the fair administration of 
justice and, if so, in what amount. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
So ordered. 
 
 
Hugh D. Heisler for the defendant. 
 
Stanley D. Komack (John B. Stewart & Jason R. Ferenc also 
present) for Rental Property Management Services & another. 
 
Patricia Whiting & Andrea Moon Park, for Harvard Legal Aid 
Bureau & another, amici curiae, submitted a brief.