Judge Leo Fama II ordered the Lincoln’s Landing eviction case into discovery Thursday after declining to dismiss the matter.
Attorneys for Lincoln’s Landing and landlord Alexandros Tsitos appeared in Lynn District Court on Thursday after a rent dispute led Tsitos to file for eviction. Lincoln’s Landing is a longtime Swampscott breakfast-and-lunch restaurant known for its classic American fare and community-based atmosphere. Tsitos is listed as a property manager for United Properties INC, a Malden-based management company which was started by Andreas Tsitos in 1995.
Tsitos and his attorney, Natalie Megaloudis, of AMPS Law PC, filed the eviction case on June 29.
“Be advised that in accordance with the terms and conditions of your commercial lease dated; be advised that you are in breach of said lease for nonpayment of rent,” Tsitos wrote in a demand letter reviewed by the Swampscott Tides. “Despite my demands, you have contumaciously refused to tender payment.”
Ashley Mantyla, daughter of Lincoln’s Landing owner Laurie, announced on Facebook Wednesday, July 8 that the restaurant had received an eviction notice. Mantyla previously told the Swampscott Tides that the “allegations of not paying rent for the past three months are false.”
“We are up to date with rent and have even provided proof of checks being cashed to the attorney,” Mantyla previously said.
Jennifer Capone, of JLC Legal P.L.L.C., is representing Lincoln’s Landing in the case.
At Thursday’s case management conference, Capone called the eviction filing “reckless” and asked Fama to dismiss the case. She showed Fama and Megaloudis bank documents, which were not previously submitted as evidence due to their private nature.
“The documentary evidence establishes without question the fact that this is patently false,” Capone argued in a motion filed on Friday. “No genuine issue of material fact exists regarding the payment of rent.”
Prior to Tsitos’ filing for eviction, Capone “expressly notified counsel for the plaintiff that all rent checks at issue had been negotiated and paid in full,” according to her motion last week. The motion also states that Megaloudis “indicated that some checks were not honored,” but there was no specification as to which checks were not paid completely.
According to the motion, Lincoln’s Landing obtained copies of all 19 rent checks from its bank.
Capone argued on Thursday that the landlord’s attorney should have investigated the payment history before filing the complaint.
“It’s certainly for me to make a claim on behalf of my client, but we’re doing so by way of saying this shouldn’t even be going forward,” Capone said.
Last week’s motion noted that Tsitos allegedly told Lincoln’s Landing in August 2025 that a rent check was missing and in December 2025 suggested it was “‘torn’ and couldn’t be cashed.’” Lincoln’s Landing wrote replacement checks, according to the motion.
Capone further alleges in the motion that Tsitos later cashed the original checks after replacement checks had been issued, resulting in duplicate payments for those months. When Lincoln’s Landing recognized this, they “applied those extra payments the plaintiff enriched himself with to the March 2026 and May 2026 rent.”
Megaloudis said Thursday that resolving the parties’ competing claims over rent payments was not the purpose of the case management conference.
“We agree that this case needs to be taken into discovery, during which we can obtain information,” Megaloudis said. “We would like to engage in some discussions to see if a resolution is possible in this case.”
Fama said that Capone’s allegations are “evidence that will have to come out in trial.”
Fama ordered the parties to exchange discovery by July 30, file answers by August 13 and submit any motions by August 20. Any motions must be filed by August 20.
