Portland landlord, former tenants reach settlement agreement

PORTLAND – A Portland landlord has settled with four former tenants who won a $1 million judgment against him over living conditions at one of his buildings.

Joseph Soley paid an undisclosed amount of money to the tenants last week, according to lawyers on both sides.

Michelle Dussault, Andrea Harris, Kimberly Nightingale and Karen Simard won the lawsuit, but Soley refused to pay and a judge recently ordered the sale of nine of his Portland buildings to cover the settlement.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department seized the properties, but they were not sold.

Including interest, Soley owed the plaintiffs nearly $1.4 million.

Gregory Hansel, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said his clients agreed to settle because they wanted to bring an end to the suit, which was filed in June 1998.

“You never know what can happen,” Hansel said, “if you don’t wrap up a case like this.”

The former tenants said they had to endure roaches, mice, lack of heat, a broken toilet, a leaky roof and a dead cat under the floorboards at the apartment at 436 Fore St.

They said Soley failed to respond to their complaints and threatened and bullied them instead. They said he also had four men raid their apartment and take away furniture, stereo equipment and a television.

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court rejected Soley’s appeal in July and said the $1 million jury verdict was warranted because of his “unmitigated abuse of tenants.”

Soley started buying vintage brick buildings in the Old Port more than 20 years ago. He owns more than a dozen buildings in the tourist district, as well as three condominiums on nearby Chandler’s Wharf.