An Oregon man’s relentless search for the truth has left him nearly $1.4 million richer.
Joshua Smith is devastated when his feline friend, Frank, mysteriously disappears.
But Smith flashed a Cheshire cat smile this week after a Multnomah County Circuit Court jury deliberated less than two hours before awarding her $1.375 million for the loss of her 3-year-old kitten, oregonlive.com reported.
Smith had previously sued, claiming his landlord had “trapped” the fur ball.
“The jury’s message should be loud and clear to landlords,” said attorney Michael Fuller, who won the case. “You have to respect the tenant’s rights, especially when it comes to pets.”
The rags to riches story began when Smith, 41, met an alley cat who appeared on the street in 2017 and welcomed him into the modest room he rented in a drug rehabilitation group home in Portland, court records show.
Smith returns home on April 29, 2019, and finds Frank has mysteriously disappeared. She sued her landlord, Devon Andrade, and the recovery home business, Pinestreet LLC, days later, the outlet reported.
Happy plaintiff, Joshua Smith, with his attorney, Michael Fuller.Michael Fuller/OlsenDaines
As the fur flew in court, Andrade’s landlord admitted that he taunted Frank, saying it violated Smith’s lease to have a pet, the media report said. The heartless landlord admits and says he had his girlfriend send Frank to the local shelter.
“It turns out the people on the jury are also animal lovers,” Fuller said.
Although Smith won the cash in court, he did not get Frank back. The vet found a microchip in the cat and returned it to its original owner.
Joshua Smith is suing his landlord for “seizing” his four-legged friend, Frank, claiming it violates his lease to own a pet. Court exhibit via Michael Fuller
In the years since the lawsuit was filed, Smith has married, remained in rehab, moved to the Oregon resort town of Seaside — population 7,000 — and started the Handsome Wolf barbershop.
“The most important thing is that I got my day in court,” Smith said. “I’m really lucky that I’m telling the truth, no matter what.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
