Peterson v. Vak

100 N.W.2d 44, 169 Neb. 441, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 154
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 18, 1959
Docket34648
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 100 N.W.2d 44 (Peterson v. Vak) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Peterson v. Vak, 100 N.W.2d 44, 169 Neb. 441, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 154 (Neb. 1959).

Opinion

Chappell, J.

This case is here on appeal a second time. Our original opinion, filed May 20, 1955, which reversed the judgment of the trial court sustaining defendant’s motion to dismiss made at conclusion of plaintiff’s evidence, is reported as Peterson v. Vak, 160 Neb. 450, 70 N. W. 2d 436, 51 A. L. R. 2d 1221. Thereafter, on rehearing, we simply changed our method of reversal to one “for further proceedings according to law,” as *442 reported in 160 Neb. 708, 71 N. W. 2d 186, 51 A. L. R. 2d 1221.

The action was a suit in equity brought by plaintiff, Eldon A. Peterson, against defendants, Joe Vak and James Vak. However, the only party defendant who claimed any right, interest, occupancy, or possession of the land involved is Joe Vak, and he will generally be called defendant. Plaintiff’s petition, filed July 8, 1952, sought by appropriate allegations and evidence in support thereof to quiet title to plaintiff’s leasehold interest and possession of a described 160 acres of farm land in Perkins County. Such leasehold interest and possession were allegedly acquired by virtue of a written lease dated September 1, 1951, for a period of 3 years and effective beginning March 1, 1952, which lease was duly executed by plaintiff and the owner and delivered to plaintiff. Plaintiff also sought to enjoin defendant from reentering the premises for the purpose of removing 100 acres of wheat planted by defendant on the land September 25 and 26, 1951, which was prior to the expiration of his year-to-year lease of the land from March 1, 1951, to March 1, 1952, but after timely written notice of termination of defendant’s lease as of March 1, 1952, had been duly served upon him by the sheriff on August 29, 1951, as directed by the owner. Such notice also informed defendant that the owner claimed the right to enter upon the land during the fall of 1951 to plant it to wheat, and also, as disclosed by the record, he was timely warned personally before said planting by defendant, and after service of the notice terminating his lease that such planting by defendant would be done by him at his peril.

Defendant’s amended answer and cross-petition, filed prior to new trial, denied that plaintiff had ever been in possession of the 100 acres which defendant had planted to wheat; and alleged in substance that in the spring of 1951 there were 100 acres subject to summer fallowing and defendant then had an oral agreement *443 for a lease with the owner’s duly authorized agent whereby defendant had the right to summer fallow such land and plant wheat thereon in the fall of 1951 to be harvested by defendant in 1952. Defendant admitted that he timely received the notice from the owner to vacate the property and that his lease was terminated as of March 1, 1952, but alleged that after service of such notice, plaintiff attempted to negotiate with defendant for a right to enter the land and plant the wheat and pay defendant for his fallowing work; that defendant made an offer for such payment but plaintiff did not accept it, and defendant planted the wheat; that plaintiff had no right, title, or interest in the wheat or the property on which it was grown; and that if plaintiff had a lease from the owner, he was charged with knowledge of defendant’s claim or demand, and was estopped to deny defendant’s right to possession of the land and ownership of the wheat. Defendant prayed for dismissal of plaintiff’s petition and quieting of title in the 100 acres of wheat. In that connection, the allegations of defendant’s amended answer and cross-petition did not fundamentally change the issues as theretofore pleaded in his amended answer, except to change his prayer thereof from one for dismissal and equitable relief to one for dismissal and quieting of title in defendant to the 100 acres of wheat.

Plaintiff’s reply to defendant’s first amended answer denied generally; admitted that defendant was a tenant under an oral lease up to March 1, 1952, and that defendant was duly served with written notice to vacate the land and terminate defendant’s tenancy; and alleged that defendant’s oral lease expired by its terms on March 1, 1952, and that any alleged oral lease to defendant was for a longer period than 1 year, and void as in violation of the statute of frauds. In that connection, the case was tried as though plaintiff’s reply were to defendant’s second amended answer, and there is no contention otherwise. Plaintiff’s answer to de *444 fendant’s cross-petition denied generally and renewed the prayer of plaintiff’s petition.

On retrial, plaintiff offered all of the evidence adduced by him in the first trial as his case-in-chief, and same was received by stipulation. Defendant then adduced his evidence and rested; whereupon plaintiff adduced evidence in rebuttal, and at conclusion of all the evidence the trial court rendered judgment. It found generally in favor of plaintiff and against defendant; that defendant had no lease after March 1, 1952, either by extension, which, if proved, would have been void under the statute of frauds, or by estoppel; that defendant yielded possession under his previous lease; that plaintiff took possession under a valid lease from the owner and was in possession at the commencement of the action; that defendant had no interest in crops growing on the land at the time of surrender of his possession; and that plaintiff was entitled to a permanent injunction as prayed. It found and adjudged that the injunction theretofore issued should be made permanent; perpetually enjoined defendant, his agents, and servants from asserting or claiming any right, title, interest, or estate in and to the premises or any part thereof; and ordered that plaintiff should recover costs.

Defendant’s motion for new trial was overruled and he appealed, assigning in substance that the findings and judgment were not sustained by sufficient evidence and were contrary to law. We do not sustain defendant’s assignment. In that connection, defendant’s brief argued among other things that the trial court erred in the exclusion of certain evidence offered by defendant, but neither his motion for new trial nor his brief assigned any such errors contained in a motion for new trial. It is elementary that defendant’s contention will not be given further consideration. In such respect, we point out that authorities relied upon by defendant are entirely distinguishable and not controlling.

Our original opinion correctly summarized the rele *445 vant and material evidence adduced by plaintiff, and we will not restate it at length here. Such opinion, after citing applicable and controlling authorities, held that: “A lessee of real estate may by virtue of section 25-21,112, R. R. S. 1943, maintain an action to quiet title to his leasehold.

“A tenant is entitled to the exclusive possession and use of the demised premises in the absence of reservations and restrictions in his lease and he may even maintain trespass against his landlord.

“If the nature of a threatened trespass on real estate is such that it will, if accomplished, prevent a substantial enjoyment of property or the possession thereof the remedy of injunction is appropriate to forestall the wrongful act.”

In that connection also, our opinion, after citing and discussing Vance v. Henderson, 141 Neb. 766, 4 N. W. 2d 833, quoted therefrom as follows.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
100 N.W.2d 44, 169 Neb. 441, 1959 Neb. LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peterson-v-vak-neb-1959.