Zimmerman v. Burton

OPINION OF THE COURT

Margaret Taylor, J.

Petitioner landlord seeks to evict respondent tenant from a rent-controlled apartment on the grounds that he was the mere licensee of the deceased tenant, and that respondent’s right to occupy the premises terminated when the deceased tenant (hereinafter Ms. Tetreault) died.

The facts of the case are as follows: Respondent, Mr. Burton, became romantically involved with Ms. Tetreault sometime prior to World War II. Social pressures against interracial marriages discouraged them from formalizing their relationship. Convinced that a permanent partnership was…