Calef v. Jesswein

176 N.E. 632, 93 Ind. App. 514, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 143
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 4, 1931
DocketNo. 14,116.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 176 N.E. 632 (Calef v. Jesswein) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Calef v. Jesswein, 176 N.E. 632, 93 Ind. App. 514, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 143 (Ind. Ct. App. 1931).

Opinion

Neal, C. J.

Appellant prosecuted this suit as plaintiff in the nisi prius court against the defendants, appellees herein, for an injunction to enjoin the defendants from entering upon certain premises alleged to have been leased by the defendants Jessweins to the plaintiff, and hauling away therefrom sand and gravel located thereon. Defendants answered by general denial.

A special finding of facts was requested, whereupon the court found the facts specially and stated its conclusions of law thereon. The only errors assigned, all of which are presented, relate to the correctness of the several conclusions of law and the overruling of the motion for a new trial, with causes specified, to wit:

(1) The finding is not sustained by sufficient evidence;

(2) the finding is contrary to law.

A summary of the special finding is as follows :• That, on October 27, 1926, plaintiff and defendants Jessweins entered into an agreement in writing whereby the defendants Jessweins sold, assigned and transferred unto plaintiff all of the gravel and sand that plaintiff might excavate and remove from the land owned by the Jess *516 weins located in Warren Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana; that the term of the lease was for two years from date, with option of renewal from year to year by plaintiff; that the plaintiff was to have the exclusive right to remove the sand and gravel from the real estate during the term of the agreement; however, the Jessweins could remove 1,000 cubic yards of gravel and sand, the yardage, however, to be taken from the west side of the pit; that the plaintiff was to have the right of ingress and egress to and from the real estate described in the instrument for the purpose of removing the gravel and sand and his machinery; that the plaintiff agreed to pay the Jessweins 12y% cents per yard for sand and gravel or mixed sand and gravel so excavated by plaintiff; that payments were to be made monthly on or before the 15th day of each month; that the plaintiff, pursuant to the written agreement, occupied the real estate and placed his machinery thereon, consisting of a stone crusher, screens, conveyors and draglines, all necessary for the operation of a gravel pit ; that the plaintiff continued to operate the gravel pit by the removal of gravel therefrom until about January 1, 1927, at which time, there being no further demand or market for gravel, he ceased to operate the same and never resumed operations thereafter; that, at the time the plaintiff ceased operation, the tools and machinery of plaintiff located in the gravel pit remained therein for a short period of time, and, during January, 1927, the plaintiff removed the engine, dragline and clamshell shovel from the pit; that, during June, 1927, the engine that operated the dragline was removed and the balance of the machinery, consisting of crusher, screen, etc., has remained there ever since without being used, and there has been, at no time since the removal of plaintiff’s engine in June, 1928, any power equipment to operate any of plaintiff’s machinery; that; at the time *517 plaintiff ceased to operate the gravel pit, which was about January 1, 1927, he was indebted to the defendants Jessweins for gravel removed pursuant to the terms of the written agreement in the amount of approximately 465 cubic yards, and such indebtedness has not been paid’; that defendant Gottfried Jesswein had, during the early part of the year 1927, authorized the removal of a quantity of gravel from the gravel pit, the quantity being at least 44% cubic yards, but that the exact quantity cannot be determined from the evidence; that, on February 10, 1928, defendants Jessweins served a 10 days’ notice on the plaintiff to pay the indebtedness which he owed them, or deliver up the possession of the premises at the expiration of the 10 days; that the defendant Gottfried Jesswein made several demands during the spring and summer of 1928, and thereafter, for the payment of the gravel removed by the plaintiff and not paid for, and that, on several occasions, and about the time of the service of the notice to quit, the plaintiff informed defendant Jesswein that he would pay for the gravel as soon as he (Gottfried Jesswein) accounted to him for the gravel which he (Gottfried Jesswein) had removed contrary to the lease; that, after the expiration of the 10 days’ notice, the defendants Jessweins elected to terminate the tenancy, and notified the plaintiff to remove the balance of his machinery from the premises, and that, if he failed to do so, that the Jessweins would hold the same for storage; that the plaintiff failed, and has ever since failed to remove the machinery, and the defendants Jessweins thereafter, without bringing suit for possession against the plaintiff, peaceably took possession of the premises, and have since held the possession of the same; that on May 16, 1929, the defendants Jessweins entered into an agreement in writing with the defendant Harry L. Snyder, whereby they contracted to sell to Snyder 4,500 *518 yards of gravel out of the same gravel pit described in the instrument executed between plaintiff and defendants Jessweins under date of October 27, 1926; that Snyder, pursuant to the agreement, entered upon the described premises, placed his machinery and equipment thereon, and removed from the gravel pit 3,076-1/2 yards of gravel, and the defendant Snyder ceased operations on August 9, 1929, when he was served with a temporary injunction issued by the St. Joseph Circuit Court, and he has since removed no gravel from the pit; that, when Snyder entered into the agreement with Jessweins, he had full knowledge of the fact that the plaintiff had certain machinery upon the premises; also, he knew that the plaintiff had solicited him to purchase gravel from the gravel pit and was cognizant that plaintiff Calef claimed an interest in the premises and that he had an agreement for the removal of gravel therefrom; that the reasonable market value of the gravel removed by the defendant Snyder while operating the pit was 65 cents per cubic yard after the gravel had been taken from the pit, screened and placed in the bin on the premises; that, on October 26, 1928, plaintiff served a written notice on the defendants Jessweins notifying them that he, Calef, exercised his option for a one year renewal of the lease upon that part of the farm owned by Jessweins and covered by the lease executed on October 27, 1926; that, at the time of the service of the notice to Jessweins, the plaintiff tendered to Jessweins more than $66 in cash in payment of the amount to be due from the plaintiff to the defendants Jessweins for gravel removed from the pit by plaintiff.

The court thereupon stated five separate conclusions of law, all of which may -be summarized as follows: That the law is with the defendants.

*519 *518 The appellant did not pay the stipulated rent when due; he was served with a 10 days’ notice as provided *519

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Bluebook (online)
176 N.E. 632, 93 Ind. App. 514, 1931 Ind. App. LEXIS 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/calef-v-jesswein-indctapp-1931.