Baldwin v. Jacobs

182 Iowa 789
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedFebruary 8, 1918
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 182 Iowa 789 (Baldwin v. Jacobs) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Baldwin v. Jacobs, 182 Iowa 789 (iowa 1918).

Opinion

Evans, J.

The defendant sued out a temporary writ of injunction against the plaintiff herein in another action, entitled Jacobs v. John Baldwin and R. A. Archer. Subsequently, the writ of injunction was dissolved upon motion. Later, the plaintiff (the defendant herein) dismissed the same without prejudice. New of the facts involved are iii dispute. Jacobs was the owner of a farm of- 200 acres, which 'lie leased to Archer for one year, from March 1, 1915, to March 1, 1916. The farm and the dwelling house thereon were occupied by Archer and his family up to the middle of January, 1916. A renewal of the lease.does not appear to have been in contemplation bétween the parties, and Archer leased a farm in another county for the. year 1916. Preparatory to his contemplated removal, he held a public sale in December. At this sale, he sold considerable rough feed in the form of shock corn, with the option to the purchaser to either remove the same or to feed it upon the place. He also had upon the place considerable other rough feed, [791]*791in the form of standing cornstalks and blue grass. Baldwin purchased the removable rough feed, and exercised the option to feed it upon the place. He also had an arrangement with Archer 'whereby he was <to bring cattle upon the place and feed the standing rough feed, at a price of one dollar per head per month. While this contract was in course of performance, Archer, about the middle of January, moved to the new place, taking with him his household goods and practically all of his belongings. A few articles of personal property belonging to him were left upon the place, with the intent on his part to come and get them later. Baldwin had a hired man in charge of his cattle, who spent much of his time'in the daytime upon the place. This was the general situation when Jacobs brought his action against Baldwin and Archer, wherein he charged a breach of the lease by Archer, in that he had sublet the premises, or assigned his lease thereon. He also averred that Archer had abandoned the premises, and that he had thereby rendered void the insurance policy held by the lessor. He averred, in effect, that Baldwin ivas doing irreparable damage upon the place, and prayed for a mandatory writ of injunction requiring him to remove his stock from the farm and to keep the same off. He also prayed for $1,000' damages. That action was brought for the March term of court, which was to begin about March látli. Before filing answer therein, Baldwin, as the defendant therein, filed a motion for a dissolution of the temporary injunction,' upon various grounds specified therein. The substance of these grounds was that the injunction was improperly obtained. The sustaining of this motion by the court furnishes the basis of the present action on the injunction bond.. The action is brought against Jacobs alone, and not against his sureties on the bond. To his action on the bond, the plaintiff adds a second count. This is a claim for damages on behalf of Archer, who has assigned his claim to the plaintiff. The claim of [792]*792damages to Archer is predicated upon the theory that the service of the writ of injunction operated as an eviction of Archer, and deprived him of the use of the premises during the last six weeks of his term of the lease.

In defense to this action, as to both counts thereof, the defendant herein pleads largely the same facts as were pleaded by him in his own petition in the first suit.

In submitting the case to the jury, the trial court withdrew from the consideration of the jury all items claimed in Count 1 of the petition, except the claim for attorneys’ fees for obtaining a dissolution of the temporary writ. On the second count, he submitted to the jury the question of whether the conduct of the defendant herein amounted to a wrongful eviction of Archer from the premises. The jury evidently found in the affirmative on this question. So finding, the jury was authorized by the instructions of the court to allow the reasonable rental value of the premises for the unexpired portion of the term.

1. Trial: verdict: denied when one jury issue survives. I. The defendant, at the close of plaintiff’s testimony, moved for a directed verdiet. dn overruling this motion, the court did nG^ err> ^ f°r nG other reason than that the plaintiff was clearly entitled to go to the jury on the question of attorney fees expended in obtaining a dissolution of the injunction. We proceed, therefore, to a consideration of the more particular errors alleged by the appellant.

2. Landlord AND TENANT: leases: forfeiture ipso faot'o. II. The trial court withdrew from the consideration of the jury the question of forfeiture of the lease. The lease contained the'following proviso:

“A failure to pay the rent as agreed upon, or to comply with any of the stipulations of this lease by the said party of the second part, shall authorize the said party of the first part to consider the lease forfeited, and he may [793]*793take possession of the premises with 30 days’ notice, and he may bring an action of forcible entry and detainer, as allowed by law, to recover possession.”

It also contained a provision that the lessee shall commit no act upon the premises which would invalidate any policy of insurance thereon, “under penalty of forfeiture of this lease and the payment of all damages.”

3. Landlord and tenant : lesses: abandonment. Taking the most favorable view of the evidence on behalf of the defendant, it showed only a breach of the provisions of the lease such as would, authorize the defendant to declare a forfeiture by giving the notice provided for therein. There was no declaration of forfeiture by the lessor, within the meaning of the lease. The issue was, therefore, properly withdrawn. It is also urged that the trial court withdrew the issue of abandonment from the jury. This is a misapprehension of the record. This issue was submitted to the jury by Instruction 11, which is made the basis of another assignment of error by the appellant. We may as well say here, that we see nothing wrong with the instruction of the trial court on that question. Moreover, we think the evidence would not warrant a finding that there was an abandonment by Archer, within the meaning of the law. The fact that he had moved onto the other premises would not, of itself, amount to an abandonment of his lease. Such conduct was not inconsistent with his claiming the continued benefits of the terms of his léase. The most serious proposition urged by the defendant upon the trial was that the arrangement between Archer and Baldwin amounted to a subletting of the premises or an assignment of the lease. If there has been-a subletting or an assignment, this would be inconsistent with any claim of abandonment. Either a subletting or an assignment would be an assertion of right to the lease, and not an abandonment thereof. In so fan, therefore, as the defendant’s evidence [794]*794tended to show a subletting or an assignment, in so far did he contradict the claim of abandonment.

4. Landlord AND TENANT: leases : prohibiting assignment or subleasing. III. On the question of subletting or assignment, it is clear that Archer had no right to do either without the consent of Jacobs. If he did either, he subjected himself to forfeiture, at the option of Jacobs. But, as already indicated, no forfeiture was declared, as provided by the lease.

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182 Iowa 789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/baldwin-v-jacobs-iowa-1918.