Rosenberg v. Sprecher

103 N.W. 1045, 74 Neb. 176, 1905 Neb. LEXIS 181
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJune 8, 1905
DocketNo. 13,801
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 103 N.W. 1045 (Rosenberg v. Sprecher) 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
Rosenberg v. Sprecher, 103 N.W. 1045, 74 Neb. 176, 1905 Neb. LEXIS 181 (Neb. 1905).

Opinion

Jackson, C.

This is a proceeding in error to reverse a judgment of the district court for Colfax county. The defendant in error, who will hereinafter be styled plaintiff, instituted an action in the court below against the plaintiff in error, who will hereinafter be styled defendant, to recover rent which he claimed from the defendant for the use and occupancy of plaintiff’s property, and for certain moneys [177]*177which he claimed to have expended for the defendant, and which the defendant promised to repay. The allegations of the petition important to the inquiry may be summed up as follows: That on the 17th day of March, 1902, the defendant was and had been plaintiff’s tenant from month to month, and as such in the occupancy of a certain store building at an agreed monthly rental of $50 a month, payable in advance; that on that date, at defendant’s request, plaintiff furnished and turned over to the defendant for his use as such tenant an additional room in the building, under agreement between the plaintiff and defendant that defendant was to pay plaintiff on account of such additional room and additional rental of $10 a month; that on the 1st day of April, 1902, the defendant refused to pay the plaintiff the additional rent contracted for, for the period between March 17 and March 31 inclusive, add that thereupon the plaintiff notified said defendant to vacate said building and to cease to occupy the same by May 1, 1902; and at the same time notified the defendant that if he continued to use and occupy the building from and after May 1, 1902, he would be required to pay plaintiff for such use and occupancy at the rate of $65 a month during the time that he continued to use and occupy the same; that the defendant continued in possession of said store building up to and including the 4th day of August, 1902, and that he failed to notify the plaintiff prior to the 4th day of August of his intention to vacate the building, but that he vacated the building without any notice whatever to plaintiff, and that, by reason of these facts, became indebted to plaintiff in the sum of $324.67; that he paid the plaintiff on that account the sum of $206.67; that the rental value of the property was reasonably worth the amount charged by the plaintiff. It was further alleged as a second cause of action that about the 1st day of January, 1902, the plaintiff paid out the sum of $4.75 for the use and benefit of the defendant; that the defendant promised to repay the plaintiff the sum so paid out, but has refused to do so. The plaintiff [178]*178claimed judgment for $123 75, with interest. Defendant, by his answer, admitted that on the 17th of March, 1902, he was, and prior thereto had been, a tenant of plaintiff from month to month; that he was in possession of the store building, and was paying an agreed monthly rental of $50 a month, payable in advance. His answer recites that on or about the 1st day of August, 1901, he entered into a verbal contract with the plaintiff, according to the terms of Avhich the plaintiff agreed to furnish the defendant additional room in the .building, to enlarge the cellar, and otherwise to improve the building; that after such additional room and other improvements Avere completed he was to pay an additional rental of $10 a month; that the plaintiff never complied with the terms of the contract, and disclaimed any liability, for additional rent claimed; pleaded payment of rent at the rate of $50 a month from the time that he continued in possession of the property, and that on or about May 1, 1902, the plaintiff instituted legal proceedings against the defendant to oust him from the possession of said premises; that he occupied the premises up to the 4th day of August, 1902, to Avhich time he paid plaintiff rental at the rate of $50 a month, and that the amount paid was the reasonable and fair rental value of the premises so occupied by him. He denied the other allegations of the petition, and pleaded a counterclaim, which it is unnecessary to notice;. Plaintiff replied, denying all the allegations of the answer, and alleging that the amount paid by the defendant after the 1st of April, 1902, was paid and received Avith an understanding and agreement betAveen the plaintiff and defendant that the acceptance should in noAvise affect or prejudice plaintiff’s claim for additional rent.

The evidence discloses that the plaintiff and defendant had for several years prior to this controversy sustained the relation of landlord and tenant; that during the year 1901 it Avas agreed bct'.veen them that flu plaintiff should build an additional story on tin; building occupied by the defendant, and provide additional room for the defendant [179]*179in the second story. There is some dispute about other improvements, which the .defendant claims were a part of the inducement for the agreement, and which the plaintiff denies. Both parties, however, agree that the tenant was to pay an additional rental of $10 a month when the improvements agreed upon were made; that on the 16th or 17th of March, 1902, the plaintiff notified the defendant that the additional room was ready for his use and occupancy, the plaintiff claiming that he had performed his part of the agreement, the defendant insisting that the improvements had not been completed as agreed upon and refusing to occupy the new room provided by the plaintiff, or to pay rent therefor. On the 1st day of April, 1902, the plaintiff caused to he served on the defendant a written notice to vacate the premises and to cease to occupy the same by the 1st day of May following, and also saw the defendant personally and informed him that if he wanted to occupy the premises after the 1st. of May, he would require him to pay rent at the rate of $65 a month. It is also in evidence that about the 1st of May he instituted legal proceedings against the defendant to recover the possession of the premises.

The second instruction given by the court on its own motion is, in part, as follows: “An itemized statement of the claims now made by both parties, is here made, to assist you in applying the evidence and malting the computation, as follows: “Plaintiff claims on first cause of action:

“1. Additional rent from March 17,1902, to March
31, 1902, at $10 per month.............. $4.67
“2. Additional rent for April, 1902.............$10.00
“3. Additional rent for May, 1902..............$15.00
“4. Additional rent for June, 1902.............$15.00
“5. Additional rent for July, 1902..............$15.00
“6. Balance for August........................$58.33.”

In the ninth instruction given by the court on its own motion, the court said to the jury: “If you believe from the evidence that the agreement was as alleged by the plaintiff, and that on the 17th day of March, 1902, he had [180]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 N.W. 1045, 74 Neb. 176, 1905 Neb. LEXIS 181, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rosenberg-v-sprecher-neb-1905.