D.C. Court Reinstates Tenant's Counterclaim Alleging Mold Hazards

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A tenant's payment of back rent that formed the basis for her landlord's eviction action did not deprive a trial court of jurisdiction over the tenant's counterclaim seeking damages for alleged mold contamination and other habitability issues, an appellate court has ruled. Williams v. Paul, No. 06-CV-930 (D.C. Ct. App.).

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals on March 27 reversed a ruling by the District of Columbia Superior Court dismissing the counterclaim by Uhura Williams as untenable, saying it is allowed by procedural rule even where the alleged nonpayment has been cured.

Uhura Williams filed …