Opinion ID: 1922789
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Consumer Fraud Liability

Text: ¶ 12. Prior to trial, the trial court granted summary judgment to plaintiffs on their claim under the Consumer Fraud Act, 9 V.S.A. §§ 2451-2480g. Landlord moved at trial for reconsideration of the court's summary judgment order and for judgment as a matter of law pursuant to V.R.C.P. 50. The court denied these motions and submitted the case to the jury solely for a determination of damages under the Consumer Fraud Act. Following trial, landlord filed motions for judgment as a matter of law pursuant to V.R.C.P. 50 and/or to alter or amend the judgment pursuant to V.R.C.P. 59 and/or for a new trial. The court denied these motions. Landlord argues that the trial court committed reversible error by granting judgment in favor of plaintiffs on the consumer fraud claim and by denying landlord's post-trial motions. We disagree. ¶ 13. We review an appeal from summary judgment applying the same standard as the trial court: requiring the moving party to prove that there is no genuine issue of material fact and that the party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. V.R.C.P. 56(c); White v. Quechee Lakes Landowners' Ass'n, Inc., 170 Vt. 25, 28, 742 A.2d 734, 736 (1999). The nonmoving party must receive the benefit of all reasonable doubts and inferences, although contrary allegations must be supported by specific facts sufficient to create a genuine issue of material fact. Samplid Enters., Inc. v. First Vt. Bank, 165 Vt. 22, 25, 676 A.2d 774, 776 (1996). ¶ 14. A landlord can commit a deceptive act prohibited by § 2453 of Title 9 when a landlord rents property to a tenant that is in violation of law. Bisson v. Ward, 160 Vt. 343, 351, 628 A.2d 1256, 1261 (1993). Plaintiffs argued that landlord rented the Shrewsbury property to them when it was not in compliance with health and safety codes. Plaintiffs submitted an affidavit and copies of records from the Department of Labor and Industry in support of the motion for summary judgment. This evidence submitted by plaintiffs included: (1) a fire inspection report dated October 31, 1994, denying occupancy and declaring that [i]nspection is required prior to any occupancy; and (2) an affidavit of Assistant Fire Marshall Fran Robillard stating that he noted the inspection requirement on the above report and sent a copy of the report to Ms. Kinney. He also stated in this affidavit that when the property was again inspected in April 1996 he found serious structural deficiencies, electrical hazards, and other violations of the life safety code. ¶ 15. Landlord, in response, did not present to the court any specific facts or evidence contradicting the affidavit and report described above, but instead repeatedly argued that Ms. Kinney did not know the property was in violation of law. We have previously held that [t]he absence of intent based upon a lack of knowledge or expertise is not a defense to a claim under the Act. Carter v. Gugliuzzi, 168 Vt. 48, 58, 716 A.2d 17, 24-25 (1998). Ms. Kinney's alleged lack of knowledge is not material to plaintiffs' claim under the Consumer Fraud Act. Based on the evidence presented at the time of the summary judgment motion, the trial court properly granted summary judgment to plaintiffs on their consumer fraud claim. ¶ 16. Additionally, we find unavailing landlord's argument that evidence introduced at trial raised a material factual dispute as to landlord's awareness of the Labor and Industry reports. In denying landlord's motion for judgment as a matter of law, the trial court properly noted that the relevant issue for purposes of establishing landlord's liability under the Consumer Fraud Act remained whether she rented to the plaintiffs when it was in violation of the law. The trial court concluded it was still undisputed that at the time the house was rented to plaintiffs it was subject to a Department of Labor and Industry inspection report which not only denied occupancy, but also expressly stated that the property not be occupied until it was brought into compliance with all regulations and inspected again. On an appeal of denials of a motion for judgment as a matter of law, and a motion for a new trial, we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Brueckner v. Norwich Univ., 169 Vt. 118, 120-21, 730 A.2d 1086, 1089 (1999). The trial court did not err in concluding that landlord was liable to plaintiffs under the Consumer Fraud Act.