Groton Townhouse Apartments v. Marder

The plaintiff owns an apartment house in Groton in which the defendants occupied various apartments. When the plaintiff attempted to raise the monthly rent commencing September 1, 1979, the defendants, who held possession under oral month-to-month leases, refused to pay the increase. The plaintiff then started summary process actions against those defendants and some other tenants of the apartment building. Upon a motion of the plaintiff under the statute it was ordered that the defendants deposit with the court “payments for use and occupancy in an amount equal to the fair rental value of…