PORTLAND, Maine — Former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling said an attempt to evict him from his downtown apartment is retaliation for forming a tenants union and fighting illegal rent increases.
The Bangor Daily News reports that Strimling was told at the end of August that he had to be out of his Congress Street apartment by Dec. 1.
Maine landlords don’t have to cite a reason for evicting people, but it’s illegal to retaliate against tenants for joining a tenants union or complaining about code violations.
A trial is scheduled for Feb. 10.
