Opinion ID: 1138372
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Counts I, VII, VIII, XIII and the Judgment for Back Rent

Text: Count I of Berrey's counterclaim alleges that portions of his restaurant were periodically flooded by sewage coming from upper floors of the building. Jeffcoat was notified of the problem and requested to make repairs and did not do so. Count VII alleges that Jeffcoat failed to furnish adequate heat during the winter months. Count VIII alleges that because of inadequate heat, the water pipes located in the ceiling of the restaurant froze and burst in January of 1987, causing Berrey to close the restaurant and vacate the premises. Count XIII of the counterclaim alleges that Berrey was constructively evicted from the restaurant in January of 1987. Berrey claims that the overflowing sewage, lack of heat, and burst water pipes each amounted to a breach of the lease which have resulted in damage to him. Further, as a result of these problems, he claims the right to an offset in rent and compensatory and punitive damages. Jeffcoat claims that the lease explicitly made Berrey responsible for dealing with sewage back-ups, insufficient heating and burst pipes. He quotes the following language from the lease agreement to support his argument: It is understood and agreed that the Landlord shall not be responsible ... for any repairs or damages other than normal wear and tear. ... . Tenant is responsible for all maintenance and upkeep of appliances and general repairs of the premises. The sewage problem which plagued Berrey evidently originated on the floor above the leased premises. Similarly, the furnace which supplied heat to all of the units in the building from a central heating source was not on the premises Berrey leased. The quoted clauses cannot reasonably be read to require Berrey to be responsible for off-premises repairs. [2] Nothing in the lease states or implies that Berrey is responsible for maintenance outside the restaurant. Thus, Jeffcoat is not exempted by the terms of the lease from responsibility for the alleged deficiencies relating to sewage, heat and frozen pipes. Conditions caused by a landlord's failure to fulfill his obligation to make repairs which render leased property unsuitable for its contemplated use may give rise to damage and rent withholding remedies. Restatement (Second) of Property (Landlord and Tenant) § 5.4 (1977). Jeffcoat did not demonstrate an absence of genuine issues as to whether or not the premises were rendered unsuitable as a result of the alleged problems. [3] Thus, summary judgment was inappropriate on the counts of the counterclaim noted. Since Berrey may be entitled to damages, it follows that a money judgment for back rent should not have been entered until the counterclaims had been resolved.