Cohen v. Newman

91 Misc. 561, 155 N.Y.S. 30
CourtAppellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York
DecidedSeptember 15, 1915
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 91 Misc. 561 (Cohen v. Newman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Terms of the Supreme Court of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cohen v. Newman, 91 Misc. 561, 155 N.Y.S. 30 (N.Y. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinions

Benedict, J.

This appeal is taken from a final order in a special proceeding’ for the recovery of the possession of certain real property situate in Jamaica, in the borough of Queens, by reason of non-payment of rent, which order was made by the Municipal Court, fourth district, borough of Queens.

The court below dismissed the proceeding, holding that there had been a partial eviction of the respondent by the appellant and that the rent was suspended.

The real property in question, which was situated on the northeast corner of Fulton street and Bergen avenue, both public highways in Jamaica, was demised by lease dated April 17, 1914, made by the appellant, as landlord, to the respondent, as tenant, for the term of five years from April 20, 1914, the rent reserved being $1,425 per annum for the first three years and $1,725 per annum for the last two years, payable in monthly payments in advance on the twentieth day of each month.

[563]*563"The rent falling due June 20, 1915, was not, after demand duly made, paid, and the tenant has continued in possession of the demised premises.

This proceeding was begun for the recovery of possession of said real property by reason of the nonpayment of said rent. The tenant interposed an answer setting forth facts from which he claimed a partial eviction from the demised premises.

The lease, which was typewritten upon a printed form, contained the following description of the premises thereby demised and of the term granted, viz.: “All the Hotel Building known as No. 453 Fulton Street, Jamaica, in the Fourth Ward of the Borough of Queens, City and State of New York, together with the chattels set forth in the schedule, a copy of which is hereto annexed, with the appurtenances, for the term of five years from the 20th day of April, 1914.” There was no other description either by actual linear measurements or by metes and bounds. It was the hotel building as it was then known, with the appurtenances, that was the subject of the demise, and this necessarily implied the building with its appurtenances as it then existed. Its use at the time was taken into account. It was then and had previously been used by the landlord as a hotel and it was contemplated by the lease that the tenant should continue its use in such business, because it is stated therein that the purpose for which the lease is made is the ‘ Hotel business, ’ ’ and that the tenant, during the period of time only in which he personally should be engaged in such business, had the right to sublet such portions of the premises as are in conjunction with the purpose of the lease, i. e., hotel business.

The tenant, therefore, hiring property so described, would, under the terms of the demise, be justified in assuming a continuance, without let or molestation [564]*564on the part of his landlord, of the hotel building together with all existing physical conditions surrounding the subject of the demise. In other words, he would have the right to rely upon the express covenant contained in the lease that, upon performance of the covenants on his part, he should peaceably and quietly have, hold and enjoy the said demised premises for the term aforesaid.”

There were at the time of the demise one door and two windows facing in an easterly direction in that part of the easterly wall of No. 453 which extended northerly of the rear wall of the adjoining and adjacent houses which, with the space in the rear of them, were also owned by the ■ same landlord, the petitioner herein. These openings in the wall of the deeper building, No. 453, furnished access and light and air to the rear room—the dining room — of No. 453. In addition there was also a vestibule or storm shed at the doorway extending about five feet to the east of the wall on to land also owned by the lessor. This vestibule had on it a sign with the words “ café entrance ” over the doorway. This sign was there while the landlord was carrying on the hotel business and when he rented the building to the tenant. The key to this door had been delivered by the landlord to the tenant upon giving possession, and was the only key so delivered. The demised premises and the other buildings belonging to the landlord and situated immediately to the east thereof abutted in the rear upon a driveway or alley leading to Bergen avenue. There was evidence from which the trial court was justified in inferring that this door and vestibule were used by customers of the tenant and that they furnished a more secluded means of entrance to and exit from the saloon and hotel than the other entrances which gave upon the streets. Access to this.door was [565]*565gained either from the street by means of the alley or driveway mentioned or from the landlord’s five other houses or from the stables, garage and covered shed shown on the exhibit (Birdsall’s survey), all of which opened on the driveway or alley. These buildings were all arranged so that any one could make use of the driveway or alley and of the open space owned by the landlord immediately in the rear of the five buildings mentioned. While it may be that the open space there would, if enclosed by fences, have formed private yards for the five houses, it was not so fenced when the lease was made, but had been and then was being used by many persons to gain access to the hotel building. The landlord must necessarily have been cognizant of this fact and of the invitation to make use of it implied by the sign “ café entrance ” over the doorway which could only be used by crossing some portion of the open space which he owned.

In April, 1915, the landlord, who, as has been noted, owned the five adjacent buildings, rented No. 455, immediately adjoining No. 453 to the eastward, to Merkle Bros.; and in May, 1915, and thereafter, permitted or directed the erection of a one-story brick extension to the rear of that building; and closed by a brick wall the openings theretofore existing in the easterly wall of the corner building and destroyed the storm shed or vestibule above mentioned. The tenant of No. 453 objected to this operation, and claimed "that it constituted a partial eviction from the premises demised to him. On his refusal to pay rent, the proceeding from which this appeal is taken was begun. The court below has held, after hearing the parties, that the “ side door constitutes an appurtenance and was leased as part of the property.”

As I view it, the question resolves itself into this: Did the door and its storm shed or vestibule and the [566]*566land upon which the shed stood and the windows on either side of the door constitute part of the demised premises; and did the tenant by reason of their existence at the time of the grant acquire an easement of light, air and access such as their presence would fur- • nish as an appurtenance to the premises which were the subject of the demise? I think the question must at least as to the door and its vestibule or storm shed be answered affirmatively. It follows, as between him and his landlord who owned the adjoining estate, that he, the tenant, acquired as part of his premises the door, vestibule and storm shed with the land on which they stood, together with a beneficial easement, for the term granted to him, over the servient estate adjoining his for their use as then existing.

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Bluebook (online)
91 Misc. 561, 155 N.Y.S. 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cohen-v-newman-nyappterm-1915.