Gray v. Vogelsang

236 S.W. 122, 1921 Tex. App. LEXIS 1255
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedDecember 2, 1921
DocketNo. 8079.
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 236 S.W. 122 (Gray v. Vogelsang) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gray v. Vogelsang, 236 S.W. 122, 1921 Tex. App. LEXIS 1255 (Tex. Ct. App. 1921).

Opinion

PLEASANTS, C. J.

This suit was brought by Jacob Gray and wife against appellee Vo-gelsang and appellants Neuman & Kirmse, a firm composed of J. J. Neuman and Robert Kirmse, to recover possession of the west 70 feet of lots 6, 7, and 8 in block 35 in the town of Rosenberg, with the improvements thereon, and to cancel a lease of said premises to defendant Vogelsang theretofore executed by plaintiffs.

By their pleadings in the court below plaintiffs and the defendants Neuman & Kirmse joined issues against the defendant Vogelsang, and both sought judgment against him canceling the lease and giving possession of the premises to plaintiffs as owners and to Neuman & Kirmse as tenants of plaintiffs to a portion thereof.

The grounds upon which a cancellation and forfeiture of the lease is claimed are fraud and misrepresentation in its procurement and the failure of defendant to comply with its terms in regard to the payment of rent and the making of improvements upon the premises.

Plaintiffs also sought recovery against defendant Vogelsang of rents for the premises from- March 1, 1917, and Neuman & Kirmse by cross-bill asked for damages against Vogelsang for injuries caused them by proceedings in an action of forcible en *123 try and detaifier brought against them by said defendant.

They further pleaded in the alternative that if it should be found that the lease had not been forfeited by Vogelsang and that plaintiffs were not entitled to its cancellation, that they have judgment against plaintiffs for the rents which they had paid them as tenants of a portion of the premises. They also asked for an injunction restraining the defendant from ejecting them from the premises, or from in any way interfering with their possession. Plaintiff also asked for a similar injunction.

Pending the final hearing, a temporary injunction was granted as prayed for by" Xilaintiffs and defendant Neuman & Kirmse.

The answer of defendant Vogelsang denies generally and specially the allegations of the petition of plaintiffs and answer and cross-bill of their codefendants, - by pleas in reconvention asks recovery against plaintiffs of amounts expended by said defendant in improvements upon the premises under his lease contract with them, and against defendants Neuman & Kirmse for possession of the portion of the premises occupied by them, and for rents due therefor from July 1, 1919.

In answer to the allegations of failure to comply with the provisions of his lease in making improvements on the premises and monthly payments of rent, the answer contained the following averments:

“That it is true, as alleged in plaintiff’s petition, that defendant made no payment at said bank or to Jacob Gray until the 25th day of July, 1919, at which time he delivered to the J. H. P. Davis & Co. Bank of Rosenberg, Tex., past-due rents, as hereinbefore set out; that this defendant had occupied said premises, or a portion thereof, under lease from the said Jacob Gray, who was then and who has been a nonresident of Texas since April, 1916; that It had been customary for him to make payment of said rentals at irregular intervals, and that Jacob Gray acquiesced in such custom; that the said Jacob Gray, by his said conduct in not making demand and compelling prompt payment of said rentals, led this defendant to believe that said provision of said lease here-inbefore set out would not be strictly enforced, and that relying on such custom the defendant failed to make such payments on the due dates thereof and because the said Gray has been continuously, as he is now, a nonresident of Texas; that this defendant has been at all times willing, ready, and able to make prompt payment of said rentals when due.
“That shortly after the execution of said contract this defendant made due inquiry for labor and material to be utilized in making the repairs provided to be made in the foregoing portion of said contract, but found that some of the material was very high in price, that some of the material could not be procured at any price, and that labor could not be procured at a reasonable price. The cost price of said material and the price of labor necessary to make such repairs was not only very high, but was unreasonably so, and defendant finding that such repairs could not be made for a reasonable price, deferred the making of such repairs from time to time, awaiting the time when the same could be made at reasonable price, and deferred making payments of the rents for said property for the purpose of utilizing same to pay the cost of malting such repairs contemplated to be made by the terms of said contract, as he had the right to do, and because said Gray had no one at Bank of Davis & Co. in Rosenberg to receive said rental. This defendant had no intention of defaulting in either the payment of installments of rent or in having said repairs made, and he has been willing and able at all times to pay said installments of rent and to have said repairs made, but on account of the aforesaid act's of the plaintiffs, their failure to make demand for the rent and for construction of repairs, and the condition of the market as to labor and material necessary to be used in making said repairs, he had refrained from so doing.
“Defendant further alleges that, as above stated, he on or about July 25, 1919, tendered the sum of $540 at the Bank in Rosenberg, Tex., of J. H. P. Davis & Co., in payment to the plaintiffs of said rentals for the months of March, April, May, June, and July, 1919, and left said sum of money on deposit at said bank to the credit of the said Jacob Gray, and subject to his order; that thereafter on August 1,1919, he made a similar tender of said bank of $100 in payment of the rental for said property for the month of August, 1919, and left said money on deposit with said bank to the credit of the said Jacob Gray, to be applied as aforesaid. This defendant further alleges that on or about September 1,1919, he tendered $100 at said bank to. said Jacob Gray in payment of rental for said-property for the month of September, 1919, but the said bank refused to accept said amount, and no one appearing at said bank to receive the said sum of money, this defendant was unable to pay same, but he has been ready and willing at all times so to do. Defendant further alleges that on the 1st day of each month subsequent to the 1st day of September, 1919, up to the present time, he has made a similar tender of said sum of money at said bank to Jacob Gray, and has on each of said dates been willing and able and ready to pay said rentals, but was unable so to do on any of said dates because the said Gray had no one at said bank to receive said payments. Defendant further alleges that by reason of the foregoing facts the said plaintiffs have waived any and all right to declare a forfeiture for nonpayment of rent, if any right did exist, which is expressly denied, and that by reason of said facts hereinbefore set forth the said plaintiffs are here now estop-ped from declaring such forfeiture.
“This defendant further alleges that in accordance with the terms of said lease contract, at the first available opportunity he commenced the repairs of said buildings contemplated by said contract, and has had repaired the roof of the gallery in front of the buildings on said premises and has had a new roof placed on said buildings.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
236 S.W. 122, 1921 Tex. App. LEXIS 1255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gray-v-vogelsang-texapp-1921.