Steinberg v. Petta

Plaintiff, James Steinberg, a minor, by and through his mother and next friend, Sheila Martinez, brought a two-count action against defendant Lawrence Petta, the absentee landlord of a piece of property located in Blue Island. Plaintiff sought to recover damages for injuries caused by a bite from a dog owned by Petta’s tenants, Thomas Groskoph and Carol Welch, alleging that Petta had harbored the dog within the meaning of the Animal Control Act and had been negligent in allowing the dog to be on the premises. The trial court directed a verdict in favor of the defendant on the issue of…