Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Vermont

Re: Being sued for defamation of character

The suit is likely baseless, but it would be a wonderful way to discourage other persons from rating the landlord.

If you are ever served, then you need to hire a lawyer to defend it. Do not attempt to defend it by yourself. You have lots of different defenses, not the least of which is that a statement of opinion is not a statement of fact.

So, "In my opinion, you are an alcoholic" is a statement of opinion protected by the first amendment. "You are an alcoholic" is a purported statement of fact, and actionable. In this situation the University solicited your opinion, not facts, and published the rating.

The landlord is likely suing the university. The landlord wants the site taken down. He sued you because of what you posted, but the main goal is to take the site down. While I do not think you have too much to worry about in the long run, if you are ever served with papers, you must defend the lawsuit or you'll wind up with a default judgment rendered against you.

If the University has a Law School, and you don't have enough money to defend it, you might see if the university has a "legal clinic" to help you out.

If the landlord cannot serve you, in most cases, he cannot prevail against you. You have no obligation to give anyone your address, and I would urge you not to do so.

Good luck