College of the Virgin Islands v. Vitex Manufacturing Co.

5 V.I. 34, 1965 V.I. LEXIS 5
CourtMunicipal Court of The Virgin Islands
DecidedMay 4, 1965
DocketNo. 28-1965
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 5 V.I. 34 (College of the Virgin Islands v. Vitex Manufacturing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Municipal Court of The Virgin Islands primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
College of the Virgin Islands v. Vitex Manufacturing Co., 5 V.I. 34, 1965 V.I. LEXIS 5 (vimunict 1965).

Opinion

Michael, Municipal Judge

The plaintiff, the College of the Virgin Islands, seeks to evict the defendant, Vitex Manufacturing Co., Inc., tenant, from property now owned by the said College, Building No. 60, Bourne Field, which property it acquired by Quitclaim Deed from the United States of America, acting by and through the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, on the grounds that by conditions of the deed of con[37]*37veyance to the plaintiff, the plaintiff was required to give notice to quit the premises to the occupants of the same, which notice to quit had been given on August 12, 1964, to be effective as of January 12, 1965, and that it needs the property for its own use.

In its answer defendant denies each and every allegation of plaintiff, except as to what it admitted in its affirmative defenses.

In resisting eviction, defendant relies on several grounds:

1. That defendant is in possession of the premises by virtue of an agreement dated September 19, 1961, executed on behalf of the Virgin Islands Corporation (VICORP) by the President of said corporation, which gave the defendant the benefit, use and possession from November 1, 1961, to June 30, 1969, subject to revocation under certain circumstances;
2. That in reliance upon representations made to defendant by VICORP with respect to the duration of the agreement, defendant made certain expenses in capital and labor in excess of $286,000 and entered upon an agreement with the said VICORP to pay a minimum of $450 per month for ten years for power, whether used or not, and as a consequence the plaintiff is estopped to deny the defendant the privilege to continue the use permitted by the agreement to the extent reasonably necessary to realize upon the expenditures ;
3. That no tender has been made by plaintiff to indemnify defendant for its damages which it would sustain by vacating the premises, which is in excess of $500,000;
4. That at the time of signing the agreement it has a collateral agreement or contract with VICORP that the written agreement would not be revoked except in the event of a national emergency, and none has existed since September 19, 1961, which representation it contends was part of the consideration for the entire agreement;
5. That by the deed from the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, the College took title “subject to any and all existing easements, rights of way, reservations, restrictions and servitudes whether of record or not . . .”, and that the agreement between defendant and VICORP is in fact a servitude, of which the College [38]*38had knowledge, and the rights of the College is bound by all agreements and representations made to defendant by VICORP;
6. That bringing eviction laid down by the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare in spite of representations by VICORP and in violation of the agreement, constitutes a denial of due process, since other “licensees” are in possession of premises under permits similar to the one involved in this action, and to maintain this proceeding deprives defendant of equal protection of the law.

The pertinent facts of the case are as follows:

On May 8, 1964, the United States of America, owner of the property in question, acting by and through the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, pursuant to power and authority vested in him, deeded to the College of the Virgin Islands for “educational purposes . . .” and “for no other purpose”, certain properties, including Building No. 60, occupied by the defendant, Vitex Manufacturing Co., Inc., subject to any and all existing easements, rights of way, reservations, restrictions and servitudes, whether of record or not, including, but not limited to certain described easements, naming them, in which defendant was not included.

The deed further recites that in the event of a breach of any of the conditions set forth in said agreement, whether caused by legal or other inability of the plaintiff or its successors, or assigns, to perform any of the obligations set forth, title and interest in and to the property shall, at the option of the grantor, revert to and become the property of the United States of America.

On September 19, 1961, prior to the execution of this deed, an agreement was entered into between the Virgin Islands Corporation, acting for and on behalf of the United States of America, called the Permittor, and Vitex Manufacturing Corporation, Inc., called the Permittee.

The Permit provides, among other things, that the Permittee shall have the benefit, use and possession of the premises, Building No. 60, located at the former Marine [39]*39Corps Facility, and known as the Sea Plane Hangar, beginning November 1,1961, and continuing until June 30,1969, “unless the Agreement is terminated pursuant to provisions contained therein”.

It also provides that the use of the premises is for manufacturing, processing and conversion of textiles and fabrics ; that the rent is at $886 monthly, in advance.

Besides the above, there are other provisions, but the one to which this case addresses itself specifically is the one giving the Permittor the right to revoke the Permit at anytime, with or without notice. The entire paragraphs read as follows:

“2. IT IS EXPRESSLY UNDERSTOOD by the parties hereto that notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Permittee may at any time, following 90 days written notice to the Permittor (60 days unless otherwise specified), withdraw from this Agreement. Notwithstanding any other .provision of the Agreement, the Permittor reserves the right to revoke this permit at any time, with or without notice.
“See attachment designated paragraph 2 (a) on page 10(a) ....
“2(a) It is expressly understood that Permittee after thirty months actual occupancy of said Building No. 60, may at any time, following sixty (60) days written notice to the Permittor, withdraw from this Agreement. Until the thirty month period has elapsed, Permittee must give notice of withdrawal in accordance with Paragraph 2 of this Permit.”

During the trial of the case the defendant sought to introduce evidence of a parol agreement to the effect that at the time of signing the Use Permit, defendant entered into a collateral agreement or contract with VICORP that the said Permit would not be revoked except in the event of a national emergency, which was objected to by plaintiff. As the defendant admitted that it was being offered solely as an equitable defense, the court permitted its introduction.

The principal questions raised by the pleadings and memoranda filed by the parties are:

[40]*40(a) Whether plaintiff is a third party to the agreement under which defendant occupies the premises, the subject of this action, and if plaintiff is a third party, can it raise the parol evidence rule;
(b) Whether parol evidence is admissible to explain the clause of the agreement which gives VICORP the right to terminate the agreement at any time with or without notice;
(c) Whether the agreement from VICORP, termed a “permit”, was a license, a lease or a “servitude” ;

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5 V.I. 34, 1965 V.I. LEXIS 5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/college-of-the-virgin-islands-v-vitex-manufacturing-co-vimunict-1965.