A Massachusetts court, in the case of Duff v. Pouliot,2018 Mass. App. Div. 42, 2018 Mass. App. Div. LEXIS 10 (Mass. Dist. Ct. App. Div. 2018), has reaffirmed and applied a state supreme court precedent,Meikle v. Nurse,49 N.E.3d 210 (Mass. 2016), holding that a landlord's violation of the state security deposit statute may constitute a defense to a claim for possession and thus protect the tenant from eviction.