Court Opinion

ID: 9689878
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 18:49:10.229088+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:18:52.623553
License: Public Domain

*652N. PATRICK CROOKS, J.
¶ 41. (concurring). I agree with the majority's decision and write separately to make two additional points. First, the majority opinion should be a clarion call to landlords across the state to review their residential lease forms and ensure that they comply with Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.08, so as not to have their leases inadvertently invalidated as a result of noncompliance.
¶ 42. Second, I write separately to emphasize that nothing in the majority's opinion forecloses a landlord from pursuing non-contract remedies, e.g., quantum meruit,1 should a residential lease be found invalid because it violates Wis. Admin. Code § ATCP 134.08. Wisconsin courts have long recognized that where there has been a violation of a regulation, such as the one we have here, there may be recovery based upon quantum meruit. In Zbichorski v. Thomas, 10 Wis. 2d 625, 626, 103 N.W.2d 536 (1960), the defendant claimed that the contract she had with the plaintiff to replace the siding on her house with aluminum siding, and to do other work, was illegal. The claimed illegality was based upon a violation of a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture regulation, which required that contracts involving the sale of siding should be in writing, and that a correct copy should be left with the customer. Id. at 627. This court indicated that the plaintiff may be able to recover from the defendant based upon a claim of quantum meruit, even if it was determined *653that the contract was illegal. Id. at 626-27. The court of appeals has concluded that quantum meruit may be available as a means for an auto repair shop to recover for repairs done, even though the shop failed to comply with a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture regulation requiring the shop to provide a written estimate. See Huff & Morse, Inc. v. Riordon, 118 Wis. 2d 1, 345 N.W.2d 504 (Ct. App. 1984). Similarly, quantum meruit could provide a landlord whose residential lease is invalid with the means to bring a claim for recovery of rent owed.
¶ 43. Here, after the circuit court concluded that the lease was void, the court found that quantum meruit was proper. The court also found that, as a result, Baierl was entitled to the payment of rent through the end of January, 1997, and payment for other miscellaneous items. (See R. at 31:27.) Indeed, the McTaggarts did not contest the payment of rent for the time they lived in the apartment, or the payment of the other items, which were deducted from their security deposit. See majority op. at ¶ 8. They only contested Baierl's attempt to withhold the remainder of their deposit as rent for those months after they vacated the apartment. Quantum meruit was properly applied here, and it is worth reiterating that the majority's decision today does not bar such recovery.
¶ 44. For the reasons stated herein, I respectfully concur.
¶ 45. I am authorized to state that Justice JON P. WILCOX joins this opinion.

 Quantum meruit is defined as a "claim or right of action for the reasonable value of services rendered." Black's Law Dictionary 1255 (7th ed. 1999). Black's also notes that "[qjuantum meruit is still used today as an equitable remedy to provide restitution for unjust enrichment. It is often pleaded as an alternative claim in a breach-of-contract case so that the plaintiff can recover even if the contract is voided." Id.