Lyle v. Mangar

[¶ 1] In this case, we are asked to interpret the statutes that govern security deposits on residential rental units, 14 M.R.S. §§ 6031-6039 (2010), for the purpose of answering two questions: (1) may a landlord proceed on a claim to recover unpaid rent without first returning a tenant’s security deposit or providing a timely written statement of the reasons for retaining it, see id. § 6033, and (2) does the failure to provide such a written statement render the landlord’s withholding of the deposit irrebuttably wrongful in every instance, thereby requiring the imposition of double damages,…