Ayers v. Landow, 666 A.2d 51 (1995)

Citation: Ayers v. Landow, 666 A.2d 51 (1995)
Parent Document: Ayers v. Landow, 666 A.2d 51 (1995)
Jurisdiction: DC (municipal)
Effective Date: 1995-10-02
Original Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2381535/ayers-v-landow/ ↗

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Although there are those who rejoice in this regime,[11] there is a price to be paid. The present case illustrates the reality that it can be difficult even for attorneys from a law firm which specializes in this type of litigation to dot all their i's and cross all their t's with regard to the preparation and service of a legally sufficient notice to quit. As the trial judge noted, it should not be difficult for trained attorneys to comply with § 45-1406 as we now construe it. Many of the plaintiffs who bring actions for possession in the Superior Court, however, are small landlords who do not have legal training. They are supposed to be in a forum in which "lay persons, *57 operating without legal assistance, [can] initiate and litigate ... judicial proceedings." Goodman v. District of Columbia Rental Hous. Comm'n, 573 A.2d 1293, 1299 (D.C. 1990). "Procedural technicalities are particularly inappropriate in such a statutory scheme." Id. The unfortunate pro se landlord caught in the bewildering maze of notice to quit requirements, see notes 8 through 10, supra, may find himself in much the same position as the Mikado's disfavored "billiard sharp," who had to play

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