Landlord Sues Tenant for Repair Costs to Fire-Damaged Apartment

January 1, 2006

LVT Number: 18596

Landlord sued tenant for damages totaling $25,000 to repair fire damage in tenant's apartment. Tenant claimed that landlord's faulty wiring caused the fire. But a fire marshal testified at trial that the cause of the fire was a curling iron that tenant had left plugged into a wall socket when she left the apartment for the day. An inspection showed that there was nothing wrong with the wiring in the socket. Tenant caused the fire and was responsible for the damage. However, the court ruled against landlord because landlord didn't prove that it paid for the cost of repairs.

Landlord sued tenant for damages totaling $25,000 to repair fire damage in tenant's apartment. Tenant claimed that landlord's faulty wiring caused the fire. But a fire marshal testified at trial that the cause of the fire was a curling iron that tenant had left plugged into a wall socket when she left the apartment for the day. An inspection showed that there was nothing wrong with the wiring in the socket. Tenant caused the fire and was responsible for the damage. However, the court ruled against landlord because landlord didn't prove that it paid for the cost of repairs.

174 LLC v. Roberts: NYLJ, 12/16/05, p. 23, col. 3 (Civ. Ct. Bronx; Gonzalez, J)

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