Opinion ID: 4531802
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Arrears

Text: [¶9] “The District Court has jurisdiction to hear, decide and award rent and arrears allegedly owing, regardless of the amount.” 14 M.R.S. § 6017(6) (emphasis added). Ocean State contends that the separation of the terms “rent” and “arrears” means that “arrears” can include sums owed by a party apart from rent, including attorney fees. This interpretation is not consistent with the plain meaning of the term “arrears,” however, which is defined as “[a]n unpaid, overdue debt or unfulfilled obligation.” Arrears, American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed. 2016); see also Arrear, Black’s Law Dictionary (11th ed. 2019) (defining an “arrear” as “[a]n unpaid or overdue debt”). Here, 20 Thames was not behind in its payment of Ocean State’s attorney fees before any attorney fees were awarded. To interpret the statute to include attorney fees incurred in the litigation as “arrears allegedly owing” would be inconsistent with the ordinary meaning of the term. 14 M.R.S. § 6017(6).