Oliver v. Mustafa, 929 A.2d 873 (2007)

Citation: Oliver v. Mustafa, 929 A.2d 873 (2007)
Parent Document: Oliver v. Mustafa, 929 A.2d 873 (2007)
Jurisdiction: DC (municipal)
Effective Date: 2007-08-09
Original Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2278463/oliver-v-mustafa/ ↗

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This case began with a complaint filed in the Small Claims Branch of the Superior Court, where appellee, Sirage Mustafa, sued appellant, Diane Oliver (the owner of a rooming house where Mr. Mustafa had lived), for the recovery of his $400 security deposit and $543, the estimated value of a few items of Mr. Mustafa’s property that Ms. Oliver had confiscated and disposed of without his permission. Ultimately, the complaint was amended to include additional counts, and the case was transferred to a regular civil calendar. There a default was entered against Ms. Oliver, who had never actually filed an answer to the complaint. At the conclusion of a jury trial that addressed solely the issue of Mr. Mustafa’s damages, a jury awarded Mr. Mustafa $11,826 in compensatory damages and $100,000 in punitive damages. The trial court separately awarded Mr. Musta-fa $211,350 in attorneys’ fees. On appeal, Ms. Oliver argues that the trial court erred in ordering a default on the claims that underlay the jury’s award, in instructing the jury on punitive damages, in declining to permit the admission of certain evidence and in awarding attorneys’ fees. We affirm.

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