Tenant Liability for Premises Collapse Due to Latent Defects

A dispute arose concerning the liability of a commercial entity for damages caused by the collapse of a building, where the entity had merely rented the premises without ownership, and the collapse was attributed to the building's poor structural condition, which the landlord knew about but failed to remedy. The court held that the tenant, as the custodian of the premises, bore a non-delegable obligation to ensure their safety and prevent harm to third parties due to defects therein, even if those defects were latent and known to the owner, thus affirming the lower court's decision to hold the tenant responsible for the damages.