Jurors in Somerville Eviction Trial - How Jury Reached Verdict

Somerville tenant avoids eviction and keeps lower rent Gary Rogers, who faced eviction after refusing to pay a 90% rent increase imposed by his landlord in 2024, can stay in his apartment and continue to pay his previous rent, a jury decided Thursday. Jurors found that Rogers’ landlord, Ryan Pinto, did in fact terminate Rogers’ tenancy through his issuance of notices to quit. But the jury also found that Pinto & his property manager created a new tenancy by accepting Rogers’ $1,150 rent checks & not reserving their right to accept payments as “use and occupancy,” not “rent.” The jury also found that Pinto failed to properly handle the last-month rent deposit Rogers paid upon moving into his unit. The jury did not find him liable for claims of retaliation, breach of habitability or depriving his tenant of the right to enjoy his apartment. Many more details in my reporting for Cambridge Day. And, if you were a juror in this trial, I’d really like to speak with you about how the jury came to a verdict: feel free to DM me here or email me at [email redacted].