Jonathan Nison was a student at Divers Academy International, training for the grueling world of commercial deep-sea diving. In October 2010, he moved into a room owned by a woman named Mary. The agreement was simple: stay until graduation day, focus on his studies, and follow the house rules.

But according to Jonathan, life in Mary’s house soon became a “living inferno.”

The “Lawn Chair” Living Room

The trouble started just two weeks after move-in. While Jonathan was away for a weekend, Mary allegedly stripped the house of its furniture. She claimed the students had damaged her couches, so she locked them in storage and replaced them with three plastic lawn chairs.

“Furniture wasn’t that big of a deal,” Jonathan told the court, “but then things got weird.” He produced photos of the thermostat, windows, and doors all taped shut with industrial tape. Mary had effectively seized control of the home’s climate and air, leaving the students shivering or sweltering at her whim.

The “Party” That Wasn’t

One week before final exams—the most stressful time for a diving student—Mary burst into the house at 10:30 PM. She began hyperventilating and screaming, “The party is over!”

Jonathan insisted there was no party. “There were four of us. We had Gatorades, an Xbox, and our textbooks.” To avoid a confrontation, the students left to study at a friend’s house. When they returned, they found the front door wide open and Mary inside, frantically moving their belongings.

The Broken Laptop and the Dead Bushes

The breaking point came when Jonathan went to his room and found his clothes scattered and his laptop dented and cracked. He called the police, but Mary was uncooperative, claiming she was simply there to “change the locks” at 11:00 PM—despite Jonathan having paid rent for another 24 hours.

In court, Mary’s defense was a list of grievances that sounded like a fever dream:

She claimed the students were running a “hotel” for unauthorized guests.

She accused them of being “alcoholics” who threw “ragers.”

Most bizarrely, she claimed the students had urinated in her bushes, killing plants that had taken her five years to grow.

The Verdict: “You Can’t Take the Law into Your Own Hands”

Judge Milian had seen enough. She didn’t care if the students were the worst tenants in the world; Mary had broken the most fundamental rule of landlording: self-help evictions are illegal.

“You lose your right to say ‘this is my house’ the moment you decide to rent it out,” the Judge lectured. “You cannot move people’s stuff. You cannot tape the thermostat. It is illegal.”

Because Mary admitted to touching the computer (even if she claimed she moved it “carefully”), the Judge held her responsible for the damage.

The Final Judgment:

$400 for the depreciated value of the laptop.

$200 as a partial refund for the final month of rent due to the “turmoil” she caused.

Total: $600 for the plaintiff.

As they left the court, Mary vowed never to rent to students again, while Jonathan walked away with enough money to replace the computer that nearly cost him his graduation.