Lyon v. Adde

63 Barb. 89
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 5, 1872
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 63 Barb. 89 (Lyon v. Adde) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lyon v. Adde, 63 Barb. 89 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1872).

Opinion

By the Court, P. Potter, J.

These cases were formerly before this court upon the following statement of facts: “ During all the time" in which the defendant had been an owner of, or connected with, the premises, from 1842 down, no rent on the said.indenture had been claimed, or paid by the defendant, or his co-tenants. That this suit was commenced on the 12th day of May, 1864.” And upon this, the late general term in the third district held, that there must be the presumption of a release. (See Lyon v. Chase, 51 Barb. 14.) Upon the opinion in which case this suit was then decided by the general term.

The difference between that state of facts, and those which now appear, is in the want of proof that no rent has been claimed; in the proof that there has in fact been no release; and, in the first of the above entitled cases, there is a difference in the diminished time between the deed to the defendant and the beginning of the action, from that during which the rent appeared to have been unpaid, upon the former appeal; and also in the effect of the deeds to the defendant.

The last consideration (if the case was correctly decided before) may be important. If, by taking his title to the premises subject to the payment of the rents secured by [94]*94this indenture, the defendant is estopped from denying that those rents were valid claims upon the premises, then it becomes entirely immaterial whether the rule to be applied in this case is that as to the presumption of the payment of an instrument of debt, or, that as to the presumption of a release of rent, from landlord to tenant; because the period prior to the commencement of this action was less than twenty years.

But if no such estoppel was effected by the conveyance to the defendant, then other and different questions will arise. It will he necessary to ascertain whether the rule as to the presumption of payment of an instrument of debt is to be applied; and if not, whether there is here a valid presumption of a release; and if so, whether proof that no release has, in fact, been executed is. sufficient to rebut that presumption.

As these questions will necessarily arise in the second of 'the above cases, I will therefore examine them first.

The difference as to the rules of presumption, as I understand it, is this. In the case of an obligation which can be extinguished by an act in pais—such as payment— there is an absolute presumption of payment, after twenty years. It is a presumption of law, and can be rebutted only by some positive, act of unequivocal recognition, like part payment, or a written admission, or at least a clear and well identified verbal promise or admission, intelligently made, within the period of twenty years. There is also another presumption—a presumption of fact, or, more properly, in the nature of evidence, which can he drawn by a jury from the circumstances of the case, in less than twenty years. (Cheever v. Perley, 11 Allen, 587. 1 Greenl. Hv. § 39. Botts v. Ballman, 1 Yeates, 584. Cottle v. Payne, 3 Day, 289. Winstanley v. Savage, 2 McCord’s Ch. 435. Goldhawk v. Duane, 2 Wash. C. C. 323. Blake v. Quash, 3 McCord, 340, 343; Henderson v. Hamilton, 1 Hall, 314. Jackson v. Pratt, 10 John. 381. Bander v. Snyder, 5 Barb. [95]*9563.) But when the obligation can be extinguished only by deed, the rule is different. In that case, there is no presumption of law at all; but there is the same presumption, in the nature of evidence, as in the other cases. It is a presumption to be drawn from all the circumstances of the case; but mere length of time, by itself, will never raise it. That one circumstance, of itself, is insufficient; but it is a circumstance from which, in connection with other circumstances, the satisfaction of the obligation may be found by a jury, or decreed by a court of chancery. And the cases upon this question are all consistent. At law, if there has not been a verdict, the issues are sent back, to be tried before a jury. In chancery, the presumption is drawn by the court, from all the circumstances of the case, as it would be by a jury; and not as a presumption of law. (Woodfall, 487. Runn. 276. 1 Phil. Ev. 160, ed. of 1839. Eldridge v. Knott, Cowp. 214. Mayor of Hull v. Horner, Id. 102. 2 Burr. 1071. Palmer v. Wettenhall, 1 Ch. Cas. 184. Collet v. Jaques, Id. 120. Boleter v. Massey, Rep. Temp. Finch, 241. Livingston v. Livingston, 4 John. Ch. 287.) This last case is in point. The chancellor says, at page 292: “How can the lapse of time be brought in as presumptive evidence of payment when the defendant, in his answer, admits the original covenant tó pay, and does not pretend to any payment?” In Jackson v. Davis, (5 Cowen, 130, 131,) the court say, (page 131:) “ When the relation of landlord and tenant has once been established, under a sealed lease, the mere circumstance that the landlord has not demanded the rent cannot justify the presumption that he has extinguished the right to it by a conveyance,” &c. (Cole v. Patterson, 25 Wend. 456, 458. Failing v. Schenck, 3 Hill, 345, 346. Bailey v. Jackson, 16 John. 211. Tyler v. Heidorn, 46 Barb. 462, 463.)

The question as to whether there are cases in which an absolute presumption of law can be drawn, will be determined, therefore, by considering the relations which [96]*96were created by the indentures; and that cannot be deemed an open question, in this State. It has been settled by numerous adjudications upon the Van Rensselaer leases, in the Court of Appeals ; and it has been held that such instruments are deeds of assignment, leaving no estate, reversion or possibility of reverter in the grantor; and not creating a rent service. (Depeyster v. McMichael, 6 N. Y. 507. Van Rensselaer v. Hays, 19 id. 68, 71, 76, 83. Van Rensselaer v. Dennison, 35 id. 393, 399, 400.) But they do create a rent charge, which is properly styled rent. (Cases supra. Also Van Rensselaer v. Ball, 19 N. Y. 107. Same v. Snyder, 13 id. 299, and cases cited by Selden, J.) That they create the relation of landlord and tenant, (Van Rensselaer v. Smith, 27 Barb. 104; Same v. Snyder, supra; Hunt v. Comstock, 15 Wend. 665; Depeyster v. McMichael, supra; Tyler v. Heidorn, 46 Barb. 450 ;) and that the grantor’s interest is an hereditament, descendible and hereditable. (Van Rensselaer v. Hays, supra. Same v. Read, 26 N. Y. 558. Tyler v. Heidorn, supra. Nicoll v. N. Y. and Erie R. R. Co., 12 N. Y. 131, 132.) It follows that any release of the rent must be by deed; and that there can be no presumption of payment, in law, from lapse of time.

I am, therefore, constrained to dissent from Justice Ingalls’ statement, in Lyon v. Chase, (51 Barb.

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