Somerville Landlord-tenant Legal Battle Goes To Trial: Report

The lawsuit has been ongoing for 18 months.

Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Posted Mon, Mar 30, 2026 at 2:36 pm ET

SOMERVILLE, MA — A legal battle between a resident and his landlord was put in front of a jury on Monday, according to a report from Cambridge Day.

Gary Rogers, 62, is facing eviction from his Union Square apartment on 22 Sargent Ave. California-based investor Ryan Pinto has been trying to remove him from the premises for the past 18 months.

Pinto and his wife first purchased the property in February of 2024 for $1.2 million. Almost immediately after acquiring the building, Pinto increased the monthly rent by $700. Rogers has since refused to pay the increased rate. Pinto filed the no-fault eviction case against Rogers in June 2024. Pinto argued that it was necessary to set rent to the market rate due to an increase in the property’s mortgage, insurance, tax, water and sewer bills. Rogers’ counterargument claims that his landlord’s attempt to evict him is retaliation for refusing to pay the increased rate.

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Rogers is represented by De Novo lawyers Emily Mattioli and Katherine Fustich. De Novo is a nonprofit that provides legal counsel in cases involving housing and domestic violence. Pinto is represented by Jahangir Zaheer of Zaheer Law Group, a Lynnfield-based firm that primarily handles cases involving landlord-tenant law.