Nugent v. Melville Shoe Corp.

Full Case Name
Nugent et al. v. Melville Shoe Corp.
Description

The court found that lights turned on after midnight by a defendant corporation was considered a nuisance to a plaintiffs' neighboring residential property in that it deprived the plaintiffs of the reasonable use of their property and disturbed their sleep.

Date
10-26-1932
Court
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Jurisdiction
Massachusetts
Plaintiffs
Defendants
Incident Location
Worcester, MA
Disputed Act

Melville Shoe Corp. maintainted a row of nitrogen lights in its building that were turned on at night, shining into the bedroom windows of the neighboring property, which disturbed the sleep of the the owners.

Holding
The court held that the unreasonable use of the nitrogen lights by the defendant after midnight caused a nuisance for the plaintiffs and found it was proper ground for equitable relief, presumably sending it down to the lower court for determining the specific equitable relief for the plaintiffs.