Court Opinion

ID: 9914516
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-01-02 15:11:43.000945+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:13:19.240114
License: Public Domain

Vermont Superior Court
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 VERMONT SUPERIOR COURT                                  9E?
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                                                               5;4                  CIVIL DIVISION
 Washington Unit                                                                  Case No. 23-CV-04076
 65 State Street
 Montpelier VT 05602
 802—828—2091

 wwwvermontjudiciaryorg

                                     Daniel Heyde et a1 V. Lourdes Macias et a1

                               Ruling on Tenants’ Motion to Dismiss and
                            Landlords’ Reguest for a Preliminary Injunction

        This is a residential rental eviction action ﬁled by Landlords Daniel Heyde and

Rosa Kink against Tenants Lourdes Macias and Patrick Rogers. Landlords initiated this

case seeking an ex parte temporary restraining order (TRO) and a preliminary

injunction, both intended to advance the timing of Tenants’ eviction. The Court denied a

TRO on September 29, instructing Landlords to serve the complaint, giving Tenants time

to respond to the motion for a preliminary injunction, and indicating that it then would

schedule a prompt hearing to determine Whether any preliminary relief may be

warranted.

        Tenants responded with both an opposition to preliminary relief and a motion

arguing that Landlords failed to provide notice of termination of the tenancy according to

statute, and this case therefore should be dismissed. Landlords provided notice under 9

V.S.A. § 4467 (h), which permits a shortened notice period in the case of a “shared

occupancy.” Based on the allegations in the parties’ various filings, the Court is unable

to determine whether the tenancy is subject to § 4467 (h), and whether adequate

statutory notice has been provided.

         Section 4467 (h) applies to “[a] rental arrangement whereby a person rents to

another individual one or more rooms in his or her personal residence that includes the
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23—CV—O4076 Daniel Heyde et al v. Lourdes Macias ct al
shared use of any of the common living spaces, such as the living room, kitchen, or

bathroom.” There appears to be no dispute that Tenants currently live primarily not in

Landlords’ residence but in a completely separate structure nearby referred as the Tiny

Home, which lacks certain basic facilities, such as a kitchen and bathroom, and they

freely use (share) those facilities in Landlords’ residence. Tenants claim that this

arrangement is not “shared occupancy” for purposes of the statute, while Landlords

maintain that it is and, regardless, Tenants actually rent a room in their residence.

        The plain language of Section 4467(h) reveals two predicates: (1) that the tenant

rent at least one room in the landlord’s residence, and (2) that the landlord and tenant

share at least some common living spaces. Landlords interpret the first requirement

away altogether, but there is no reasonable way to do so. See McMurphy v. State, 171 Vt.

9, 12 (2000) (“We presume that language [in a statute] is inserted advisedly and that the

Legislature did not intend to create surplusage.”); see also Vermont Small Bus. Dev.

Corp. v. Fifth Son Corp., 2013 VT 7, ¶ 15, 193 Vt. 185, 191 (“With respect to the

termination of residential leases, we have followed the trend in other jurisdictions to

require ‘punctilious compliance with all statutory eviction procedures, including notice

provisions.’” (citation omitted)). The Tiny Home is a separate structure. It is not a room

in Landlords’ residence. While any shared living arrangement presents some of the

concerns underlying Section 4467(h), the Legislature also required that a second

predicate be met before a landlord can rely on the expedited procedures of that law.

        The factual allegations reflect sharp disagreement as to what Tenants actually

rent, however. The written lease refers generally to the street address of what the Court

understands to be the entire premises, including both the Tiny Home and Landlords’

Order                                                                     Page 2 of 3
23-CV-04076 Daniel Heyde et al v. Lourdes Macias et al
residence, without providing any further detail as what Tenants truly rent, and what

they rent may have changed over time. Landlords maintain that Tenants actually rent a

bedroom in their residence and merely choose to sleep in the Tiny Home. Tenants

appear to claim that they rent the Tiny Home only, and Landlords long ago retook

possession of the bedroom initially rented in the residence.

        The Court cannot resolve that factual clash on a cold record. The factual dispute

on that point is a key issue for purposes of both Tenants’ motion to dismiss and

Landlords’ request for preliminary relief.

                                                         Conclusion

        In light of the foregoing, the Court will schedule a hearing on both motions, at

which the issue of the adequacy of notice will be addressed at the threshold before

considering whether Landlords may be entitled to any preliminary relief.

        Electronically signed on Monday, October 23, 2023, per V.R.E.F. 9(d).

                                                                 _______________________
                                                              Timothy B. Tomasi
                                                              Superior Court Judge

Order                                                                                 Page 3 of 3
23-CV-04076 Daniel Heyde et al v. Lourdes Macias et al