Can a landlord be held responsible for a tenants actions?

Can a landlord be held responsible for a tenants actions? My neighbors tenant threatens me and scarres my wife and kids. He harasses me, spits at me, and never stops bothering me. The Massachusetts court say he is doing nothing wrong. Can his landlord who was told about his actions be held responsible?

Can a landlord be held responsible for a tenants actions? My neighbors tenant threatens me and scarres my wife and kids. He harrases me, spits at me, and never stops bothering me. The massachusetts court say he is doing nothing wrong. Can his landlord who was told about his actions be held responsible?
Hello d:

Maybe.. But, the neighbor has to do something actionable before the landlord MIGHT be liable... And, you'll have to be able to PROVE the landlord was put on notice, and you won't be able to do that if he was just "told".

So, probably not.

I don't know what you mean by "court", unless he's been charged and acquitted of some offense against you. Do you mean the cops won't arrest him??

excon

Hello again Dan:

You only need to ask once.

excon

In your case, I don't think so. A personal dispute between neighbors is not within the provence of a landlord. If the tenant was committing some illegal, criminal act and the landlord was aware of it and had done nothing and then you were damaged in the course of that criminal act, then you might have a cause of action. Not from what I see.

However, Harassment is illegal in most places (though not necessarily criminal). In MA this is covered by this statute:
CHAPTER 164 OF THE ACTS OF 2000 (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/seslaw00/sl000164.htm)

But to get someone prosecuted under that statute you will need to prove the threats are part of a pattern.