Lawrence v. Regent Realty Group, Inc.

PRESIDING JUSTICE CAHILL

delivered the opinion of the court:

We review the denial of a motion for a new trial where the trial court found at the close of evidence that a landlord defendant did not willfully violate the Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance. Chicago Municipal Code §§ 5 — 12—080(c), (f) (amended November 6, 1991). The trial court found that a “pet deposit” required in a lease was a “security deposit” within the meaning of the ordinance. But the court further found that the landlord’s failure to pay interest on the deposit was not willful and did not subject the…