Ray v. Blackman

97 S.W. 212, 120 Mo. App. 497, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 419
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 30, 1906
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 97 S.W. 212 (Ray v. Blackman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ray v. Blackman, 97 S.W. 212, 120 Mo. App. 497, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 419 (Mo. Ct. App. 1906).

Opinion

NORTONI, J.

(after stating the facts.

1. It appears from the uncontroverted evidence that the defendant was in possession of the premises under a parol con[502]*502tract wliereby the term expired December 31, 1904; It is not shown in the case that either the plaintiff or his grantor, Slayton, had given defendant notice to quit, nor is there a showing that demand had been made on him for the surrender of the premises prior to the institution of the suit as contemplated under the second provision of section 3321, R. S. 1899, in relation to unlawful detainer. In this state of the record, the question presented is: is plaintiff entitled to recover in the absence of a showing of either notice to quit or demand for possession? It is suggested that if the letting of the premises for the years 1903 and 1904; that is, from January 1, 1903, to December 31, 1904, was had by parol contract for a term of two years, the defendant having entered into possession and attorned to the landlord thereunder, that then, under the operation of the Statute of Frauds, there was created a tenancy from year to year, the termination of which necessitated sixty days’ notice in writing, under section 4109, R. S. 1899. Now it is true that the Statute of Frauds, section 3414, R. S. 1899, declares that an estate in or tenancy for the occupation of lands created by parol contract for a term of years shall have force and effect only of an estate at will,’when such estates or tenancies are followed, however, by entry of possession and payment of rent thereunder, the statute is construed to create by operation of law a tenancy from year to year rather than an estate at will, according to the strict letter of the enactment, and therefore on this theory of the evidence, the tenancy is one from year to year. [Kerr v. Clark, 19 Mo. 132; Ridgley v. Stillwell, 28 Mo. 400; Goodfellow v. Noble, 25 Mo. 60; Williams v. Deriar, 31 Mo. 13; Scully v. Murray, 34 Mo. 420; Winters v. Cherry, 78 Mo. 344-347; Tiefenbrun v. Tiefenbrun, 65 Mo. App. 253; Davies v. Baldwin, 66 Mo. App. 577; Hosli v. Yokel, 58 Mo. App. 169; Delaney v. Flanagan, 41 Mo. App. 651; Adams v. City of Cohoes, 127 N. Y. 175; Coudert v. Cohn, 118 N. Y. 309; Berrey [503]*503v. Lindley, 3 Man. & G. 512.] And it is well settled that under such estate for a term of years, if either party desires to terminate the tenancy during the term and prior to its final determination by the provisions of the contract of letting, he may do so by giving to the other party the usual sixty days’ notice in writing prior to the end of any current year, as is provided in section 4109, R. S. 1899. [Scully v. Murry, 34 Mo. 420; Grant v. White, 42 Mo. 285; Hosli v. Yokel, 58 Mo. App. 169; Davies v. Baldwin, 66 Mo. 577; 2 Taylor, L. & T. (9 Ed.), sec. 467; 1 Wood on L. & T. (2 Ed.), sec. 36.] This rule we understand to obtain with respect to the termination of the tenancy, at the end of any current year of such tenancies from year to year, created by parol under the operation of the Statute of Frauds, supra. We dor; not understand the rule requiring sixty days’ notice to terminate the tenancy to obtain, however, when the tenancy expires by the limitation or time fixed by the contract of letting, for in such cases the tenancy expires by virtue of the contract itself and notice is dispensed with by the stipulation of the parties themselves contained in the contract fixing the determination of the term at a time certain. By the plain provisions of our statute,-no notice to quit is necessary to terminate the tenancy when the term of lease is fixed to terminate on a day certain. The statute is as follows: “No notice to quit shall be necessary from or to a tenant whose term is to end at a certain time, or when, by special agreement, notice is dispensed with.” [Sec. 4111, R. S. 1899.] There is nothing in this statute which limits its ' operation to leases in Avriting or to parol agreements foi; one year only or to be' performed within one year from the making thereof, or, in other words, contracts not affected by the Statute of Frauds. By its plain provisions, it applies to terms that are “to end at a certain time.” Indeed, the statute is merely declaratory of the common laAV on the subject. [Cobb v. Stockes, 8 East. [504]*504358; Young v. Smith, 28 Mo. 65-69.] As said by Judge Scott in the case last cited; the principle is: “When the term of a lease is to end on a precise day, there is no occasion for a notice to quit previously to bringing an ejectment because both parties are equally apprised of the determination of the term.” The general proposition that no notice is rejuired from or to a tenant when the term expires on a day certain, is so well settled in the law of landlord and tenant, both at common law and under the statute, that it is unnecessary to cite authorities thereon. The following are in point however: Young v. Smith, 28 Mo. 65; Anderson v. McClure, 57 Mo. 93; Butts v. Fox, 96 Mo. App. 437; 13 Amer. & Eng. Ency. Law (2 Ed.), 769; 2 Taylor on L. & T. (9 Ed.), secs. 464, 468, 471; 1 Wood on L. & T. (2 Ed.), sec. 23-36. Now, parol leases for a longer term than one year, and therefore invalid by virtue of the operation of the Statute of Frauds, and hence, when followed by entry, possession and. payment of rent on the part of the tenant, are converted by construction and operation of law into tenancies from year to year, are rendered invalid solely because of the time of duration; i. e., because they exceed the one year limit" and impugn the provisions of section 3414 and 3418, R. S. 1899, and for no other reason. It does not follow therefrom, however, that each and all of the provisions of such contracts are invalid when the tenant has entered and continued in possession of the premises and attorned to his landlord thereunder and the courts have universally held that the stipulations of such contracts with respect to repairs and as to the amount of rent reserved and as to the time set for the termination of the tenancy are all and each of them valid and binding upon the parties and may be enforced as such, as will appear by consulting the following authorities. [Butts v. Fox, 96 Mo. App. 437, 70 S. W. 515; Adams v. City of Cohoes, 127 N. Y. 175; Coudert v. Cohn, 118 N. Y. 309; Berrey v. Lindley, 3 [505]*505Man. & G. 512; Tress v. Savage, 4 L. & B. 36-43; Davenish v. Moffatt, 15 A. & E. 257; 2 Taylor on L. & T. (9 Ed.), sec. 471.]

From what has been said, it is obvious that if the various enumerated provisions of such invalid contracts ■followed by entry, occupation and attornment, are upheld and enforced, among which is the provision of the contract fixing a time certain for the termination of the lease, then that provision is not rendered ineffective or inoperative bv virtue of the statute in such cases, but, on the contrary, it is given full life and vigor by the courts when the party has occupied and attorned under it to the termination of the lease even though it be a provision of a contract rendered invalid by the statute because of its time of duration and the authorities deduce the principle and adhere to the doctrine that no notice to quit is necessary when the invalid parol lease expires on a day fixed, a time certain, and the tenant has occupied and attorned thereunder the full term and up to such time of termination for the reason that in such cases the provision is a valid stipulation and that inasmuch as the parties have contracted with respect to it, they are advised of its influence and of the time when the lease expires, and therefore no notice to quit is necessary. [Butts v. Fox, 96 Mo. App. 437; 2 Taylor on L. & T. (9 Ed.), sec. 471; Adams v.

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Bluebook (online)
97 S.W. 212, 120 Mo. App. 497, 1906 Mo. App. LEXIS 419, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ray-v-blackman-moctapp-1906.