Habich v. University Park Building Co.

97 N.E. 539, 177 Ind. 193, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 16
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 23, 1912
DocketNo. 22,102
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 97 N.E. 539 (Habich v. University Park Building Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Habich v. University Park Building Co., 97 N.E. 539, 177 Ind. 193, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 16 (Ind. 1912).

Opinion

Monks, J.

It appears from the record that on December 1,1902, appellant, by written instrument, leased from Madeline Maus, “the storeroom, and basement under same, situate No. 121 West Washington street; also the room over the rear part of said room, known as ‘room eleven Commercial block’, * * * in the city of Indianapolis, * * # for and during the term of five years, from January 1,1903, with the privilege of five additional years at a rental to be agreed upon between the parties hereto at least sixty days before the beginning of that term,” at a rental of $106 a month.

Later appellant leased two additional rooms in the same block from Madeline Maus for a period ending at the same time as the other lease and with the same privileges of renewal. The rent for these rooms was $20 a month, and by an agreement made later between lessor and lessee,.the lessee was to pay $6.25 a month for heat and light furnished. This made a total of $132.25 a month. Before the expiration of the lease appellee became the landlord of appellant, having [195]*195taken a ninety-nine year lease of the property from Madeline Maus, and this relation was recognized by appellant.

Appellant .and appellee failed to agree as to a renewal of said first lease, dated December 1, 1902, to commence January 1,1903, for five years ending December 31, 1907, and on February 21, 1908, appellee commenced this action for possession of the real estate described in said first lease, and for damages for its detention after December 31, 1907, the date said lease ended by its own terms.

Appellant, defendant below, answered in three paragraphs: (1) General denial; (2) that he was lawfully in possession by a renewal of the lease under the option of which he had availed himself, in the manner provided in the original lease; (3) that appellant held over pending negotiations as to the amount of rent, that appellee had demanded rent and recognized him as tenant, that he was therefore lawfully in possession, and that the relation of landlord and tenant existed between appellee and appellant.

Later, on May 3, 1909, appellant filed a supplemental answer, setting out that at the end of one year, being at the end of the year 1908, appellant had surrendered possession, which had been accepted by appellee1. The cause was tried on May 25, 1909, and on May 24, 1909, before the trial, appellant paid into court, as a tender to appellee in said cause, the sum of $1,272. A trial of said cause resulted in a general verdict in favor of appellee for $2,220. The jury returned with the general verdict answers to interrogatories submitted by the court at the request of appellant.

Appellant moved that the court render judgment on the answers to the interrogatories in the sum of $1,272 in favor of appellee, notwithstanding the general verdict, which was for $2,220. This motion was overruled by the court. .The court also overruled appellant’s motion for a new trial, and rendered judgment against him on .the general verdict. Appellant urges a reversal on the grounds that the court erred [196]*196(1) in overruling the motion for judgment on the answers to the interrogatories, notwithstanding the general verdict, and (2) in overruling appellant’s motion for a new trial.

Appellant’s theory- is “that the answers to the interrogatories show that he was lawfully in possession of said real estate, and that being lawfully in possession this action, which is in tort for possession and damages, must have failed, except for the fact that he had tendered and paid the rent for the year at $106 a month, the amount named in the five-year lease, which was tantamount to an offer to confess judgment for that amount, and which would entitle appellee to a judgment for that amount.” Without determining the correctness of this theory, we will determine whether the answers to the interrogatories are in irreconcilable conflict with the general verdict, for if not, upon appellant’s own theory his said motion for judgment was properly overruled.

1. All reasonable presumptions are in favor of the general verdict, and none will be indulged in favor of the answers to the interrogatories, which control the general verdiet only when the conflict is such that it cannot be removed by any evidence admissible under the issues. Consolidated Stone Co. v. Summit (1899), 152 Ind. 297, 300, 301, 302, 53 N. E. 235.

2. The jury found in the answers to the interrogatories that “'there was a privilege of renewal in the first lease,” the one in controversy in this case, “at a price to be agreed upon by both parties;” that appellant continued in possession of the premises, described in the first lease, after January 1, 1908; that appellee demanded rent from appellant after January 1, 1908; that appellant offered to pay rent after January 1, 1908; that the monthly rental of the premises in the first lease was $106; that appellant tendered appellee $132.25, $106 of which was for the monthly rental of the premises described in the first lease; that before the expiration of the first lease, appellant notified ap[197]*197pellee that he expected to hold over; that appellant gave possession of the premises described in the first lease on December 31, 1908, and that appellee accepted possession o thereof, and rented them to another tenant.

There is nothing in these answers of the jury showing that said first lease was renewed for another term of five years under the terms of said lease. Its renewal depended on the agreement of appellant and appellee as to the rent to be paid therefor. If no agreement was made between them as to the rent, it was not renewed. 1 Taylor, Landlord and Tenant (9th ed.) §333, p. 410; Whetstone v. Davis (1870), 34 Ind. 510, 511. True, the jury found that appellant notified appellee before the expiration of said first lease that he expected to hold over. This was not sufficient to renew the lease, nor was it sufficient to show that the relation of landlord and tenant existed between appellee and appellant after the expiration of said lease on December 31, 1907.

3. Appellant, however, contends that if said lease was not renewed, then by holding over after the termination of said lease on December 31, 1907, a tenancy from year to year was created, and the new tenancy was governed by the terms of the old lease, except as to duration: Citing Ridgeway v. Hannum (1902), 29 Ind. App. 124, 64 N. E. 44; Kleespies v. McKenzie (1895), 12 Ind. App. 404, 40 N. E. 648; Alleman v. Vink (1902), 28 Ind. App. 142, 62 N. E. 461. These cases are not in point, for the reason that in each case the tenant held over with the consent of the landlord, without any attempt to change the terms of the lease, or any objection thereto by either party. The mere fact that a tenant holds over after the expiration of his lease does not create a tenancy from year to year. Whetstone v. Davis, supra; Dunphy v. Goodlander (1895), 12 Ind. App. 609, 40 N. E. 924; Chicago, etc., R. Co. v. Perkins (1895), 12 Ind. App. 131, 38 N. E. 487.

[198]*1982. [197]*197When appellant held over after December 31, 1907—the expiration of his term—appellee had the right to treat him [198]*198either as a trespasser or a tenant, but appellant had no such election. 1 Taylor, Landlord and Tenant (9th ed.) §22.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Charles Downey Family Ltd. Partnership v. S & V Liquor, Inc.
880 N.E.2d 322 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2008)
Mooney-Mueller-Ward, Inc. v. Woods
371 N.E.2d 400 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1978)
Myers v. Maris
326 N.E.2d 577 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1975)
State v. JORDAN
215 N.E.2d 32 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1966)
Puetz v. Cozmas
147 N.E.2d 227 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1958)
Art Mosaic & Tile Co. v. St. Clair
13 N.E.2d 317 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1938)
Walsh v. Soller
190 N.E. 61 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1934)
Karstedt v. Glick
172 N.E. 198 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1930)
Magee v. Indiana Business College
166 N.E. 607 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1929)
Niestadt v. Joseph
139 N.E. 336 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1923)
City of Logansport v. Green
135 N.E. 657 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1922)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 N.E. 539, 177 Ind. 193, 1912 Ind. LEXIS 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/habich-v-university-park-building-co-ind-1912.