The clash began after Spring refused to pay a $287 electrician’s bill that his landlord forwarded him for the repair of a burnt-out socket in his unit. Shortly after, the landlord notified Spring that his rent would increase by $100 per month.
The jury awarded Spring $16,000 — an amount that Oregon law doubles to $32,000 because of the nature of the violation. On top of that, Spring’s attorneys also are entitled to ask a judge to order the landlord to pay all of Spring’s legal fees, an amount that currently stands at $225,000.
Pretty crazy story. But the judges are right: The landlord basically took revenge for the renter to seek help in the legal system by rising the rent and such behavior needs to be very strongly discouraged.
I don’t see how else to deter other landlords from doing the same. The consequences have to be dire to deter behavior which is rather unlikely to make it into a courtroom because most people don’t sue.
Won’t stop them. They’ll just raise the rent on other tenants to pay for it and go on being slumlords.