Returning Subscriber?
Not a Subscriber to Litigation Pathfinder?
Get the full text of this legal issue, including links to cited primary law, along with unlimited access 1,000’s of other legal issues…and more!
Issue: Under Massachusetts law, what is the standard of care that a management company of a premises owes to any lawful visitor?
| Area of Law: | Real Estate Law |
| Keywords: | Duty of an owner of property; Standard of care |
| Jurisdiction: | Massachusetts |
| Cited Cases: | 3 Mass. App. Ct. 765; 385 N.E.2d 528; 10 N.E.2d 115; 330 N.E.2d 495; 292 N.E.2d 863; 7 Mass. App. Ct. 27; 297 N.E.2d 43 |
| Cited Statutes: | None |
| Date: | 05/01/2000 |
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Oliveri v. Massachusetts Bay Transp. Auth., 363 Mass. 165, 292 N.E.2d 863 (1973), stated the duty that an owner or other person in control of property has to an invitee as follows:
The obligation of one who controls business premises is to use due care to keep the premises provided for the use of its patrons in a reasonably safe condition, or at least to warn them of any dangers that might arise from such use, which are not likely to be known to them, and of which the defendant knows or ought to know.”
Id. at 166-167, 292 N.E.2d at 864 (citations omitted).
Mounsey v. Ellard, 363 Mass. 693, 297 N.E.2d 43 (1973), stands as the landmark case that extended the duty of care owed by owners, and those in control of property, to all lawful visitors, regardless of their technical classification as licensee or invitee.
In such cases where the management company is in control of the property, the court concerns itself with the issue of control, rather than legal ownership of the premises. See Marsden v. Eastern Gas & Fuel […]