Opinion ID: 2341820
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Existence of Good Cause

Text: We thus come to the final question of whether respondent established sufficient facts to constitute good cause for its decision to terminate petitioner's month-to-month lease. Under Maryland Rule 8-131(c), we review the case on both the law and the evidence but do not set aside the judgment on the evidence unless the judgment is clearly erroneous, giving due regard to the ability of the trial court to judge the credibility of the witnesses. As we have indicated, the HUD regulations, 24 C.F.R. § 982.310(d), provide a non-exclusive list of conduct or circumstances that might establish good cause for terminating a lease. Among them is [a] family history of ... destruction of property, or of living or housekeeping habits resulting in damage to the unit or premises. In this case, the Housing Authority inspector found petitioner's residence to be plagued with various maintenance problemsfoul odors, apparently from a cat, holes in several walls, apparently caused by petitioner's children, dirty floors, walls, and kitchen appliances, inoperable smoke detectors, missing or torn screenssome of which dated back to 1998, only two years after she commenced occupancy. Petitioner admitted to most of the problems, and the court found them to exist. We do not find its ruling to be clearly erroneous. JUDGMENT OF CIRCUIT COURT AFFIRMED, WITH COSTS.