Court Opinion

ID: 9890530
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-13 14:07:38.058761+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:26:24.309801
License: Public Domain

NOTICE: Summary decisions issued by the Appeals Court pursuant to M.A.C. Rule
23.0, as appearing in 97 Mass. App. Ct. 1017 (2020) (formerly known as rule 1:28,
as amended by 73 Mass. App. Ct. 1001 [2009]), are primarily directed to the parties
and, therefore, may not fully address the facts of the case or the panel's
decisional rationale. Moreover, such decisions are not circulated to the entire
court and, therefore, represent only the views of the panel that decided the case.
A summary decision pursuant to rule 23.0 or rule 1:28 issued after February 25,
2008, may be cited for its persuasive value but, because of the limitations noted
above, not as binding precedent. See Chace v. Curran, 71 Mass. App. Ct. 258, 260
n.4 (2008).

                       COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

                                 APPEALS COURT

                                                  22-P-724

                        MOHAMMED AKBARIAN, trustee, 1

                                       vs.

                          MUHAMMAD M. ABDELHALIEM.

               MEMORANDUM AND ORDER PURSUANT TO RULE 23.0

        In December 2019, Mohammed Akbarian, as trustee of the Pine

 Banks Trust (landlord), filed a summary process complaint in the

 Housing Court against Muhammad M. Abdelhaliem (tenant).               The

 complaint alleged, among other things, that the tenant failed to

 vacate after receiving a thirty-day notice to quit.              The tenant

 filed an answer and raised defenses and counterclaims of

 defective notice, retaliation, discrimination, violation of the

 implied warranty of habitability, breach of quiet enjoyment,

 violation of the Consumer Protection Act, negligence, and

 emotional distress.       Following a bench trial that concluded on

 December 13, 2021, the court entered judgment for the landlord

 1   Of the Pine Banks Trust.
for possession and on all of the defendant's counterclaims.      We

affirm.

     Based on the tenant's brief and our review of the papers,

it is unclear in what way the tenant argues that the Housing

Court judge erred.   The tenant did not include a trial

transcript, and therefore it is impossible to conclude that any

of the judge's decisions regarding the evidence or his findings

of facts were in error.    See, e.g., M.M. v. D.A., 79 Mass. App.

Ct. 197, 207 (2011).

     The tenant's arguments largely reiterate his claims before

the Housing Court, which, after careful review, the judge found

did not present a defense to possession by the plaintiff.    To

overturn the judge's findings or rulings, we must conclude that

the judge made clearly erroneous factual findings or reached an

incorrect conclusion of law.    See, e.g., United States Bank

Nat'l Ass'n v. Schumacher, 467 Mass. 421, 427(2014).    On the

record provided to us, we cannot determine whether the judge's

findings were unsupported or that they formed a basis for an

incorrect conclusion of law.

     To the extent the tenant also argues that the judge

improperly denied his motion to amend his pleadings, we find no

merit to his argument.    The standard of review is whether the

judge abused his discretion in denying the motion.    See, e.g.,

Manfrates v. Lawrence Plaza Ltd. Partnership, 41 Mass. App. Ct.

                                  2
409, 413-415 (1996).    His motion to amend the complaint, which

included six new Federal claims and further facts, damages, and

exhibits, was untimely and unduly prejudicial.     See, e.g.,

Castellucci v. United States Fid. & Guar. Co., 372 Mass. 288,

289-291 (1977).

                                      Judgment affirmed.

                                      By the Court (Meade,
                                        Hershfang & D'Angelo, JJ. 2),

                                      Clerk

Entered:    October 13, 2023.

2   The panelists are listed in order of seniority.

                                  3