Stoddard v. Illinois Improvement & Ballast Co.

195 Ill. App. 471, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 376
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 8, 1915
DocketGen. No. 20,972
StatusPublished

This text of 195 Ill. App. 471 (Stoddard v. Illinois Improvement & Ballast Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stoddard v. Illinois Improvement & Ballast Co., 195 Ill. App. 471, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 376 (Ill. Ct. App. 1915).

Opinion

Mr. Presiding Justice Scanlan

delivered the opinion of the court.

The following are the only grounds urged by the defendant for the reversal of the judgment: (1) “The motion made at the close of all the evidence to direct a verdict for the defendant should have been granted.”. (2) “Appellant did not expressly or impliedly covenant and agree with the appellee to remove stone from the demised premises.” (3) “The burden of proof was upon the appellee to establish that the demised premises contained stone suitable for quarrying purposes, and by the exercise of reasonable skill and diligence could have been profitably removed.” (4) “The court erred in the admission and exclusion of evidence.” (5) “The court erred in its charge to the jury and in its refusal to charge as requested by appellant.”

As to the first of these contentions, the defendant insists that it was error for the court to refuse to direct a verdict for the defendant, for the reason that the plaintiff predicated his right of recovery in the present case solely upon the theory that the lease in question was for a single purpose, viz., to develop and quarry rock; whereas, under the terms of the lease, the defendant had the right to make other uses of the premises. It is a sufficient reply to this contention to say, that under the terms of the said lease, the law implied a covenant on the part of the lessees and their assigns to work the quarry with reasonable diligence, and in a proper manner, so that the lessor might receive the returns contemplated in the lease (Watson v. O’Hern, 6 Watts (Pa.) 362; In re Koch’s Appeal, 93 Pa. St. 434; Daughetee v. Ohio Oil Co., 263 Ill. 518; Id. 151 Ill. App. 102; 1 Taylor on Landlord and Tenant [1904] sec. 369); and it is no answer to the present suit to say that the defendant had the right under the lease to till the land, or make other uses of the premises than removing stone therefrom. If such a right existed, it would not affect the defendant’s duty to work the quarry, nor would it tend to lessen the damages of the plaintiff in the present suit. We do not wish to be understood, however, as intimating from what we have said, that we think that the defendant, under the terms of the lease, had the right it claims.

In support of its second contention, the defendant relies upon Chicago & W. I. R. Co. v. Chicago & E. I. R. Co., 260 Ill. 246. That decision is not an authority in favor of the defendant’s present contention for the reason that the lease in that case was of a different character from the one now under consideration. The cases that we have cited in passing upon the defendant’s'first contention are adverse to its present one and dispose of it.

In connection with its second contention the defendant argues that: “It by no means follows that if the appellee’s contention, that the lease contains certain implied covenants be sustained, that he is entitled to relief which the lower court granted him as against this appellant. The assignment to the appellant by Carpenter was a mere assignment of Carpenter’s rights, but without any assumption on the part of the appellant of Carpenter’s obligations, if any, under the lease. The same is true of the assignment by Bales & Son to Carpenter. Therefore, the judgment below cannot be sustained upon the ground that the appellant had contracted with the appellee and that by reason of certain express provisions of the contract other implied provisions must be read into it. What the appellee’s rights may be against Bales & Son growing out of the contract which he made with them is not, of course, a question that is involved in this case. Had the appellant assumed and agreed to perform the covenants and agreements of Bales & Son an entirely different question would be presented. ’ ’ The fact that the defendant bases its right to possession of the premises on the lease would seem to preclude it from taking this position. The defendant, clearly, stands in the shoes of the original lessee, and its rights, duties and obligations are to be determined by the lease entered into by the plaintiff and Bales & Son.

As to the third contention of the defendant it is said, that “it is alleged in the statement of claim at the time the appellant took possession of the demised premises the property contained large quantities of stone suitable for quarrying purposes. The appellee having alleged that the quarry contained stone that could have been, but was not, quarried, undertook the burden of proving those facts. The facts so alleged are a necessary part of the plaintiff’s cause of action. It is obvious that if there was no stone to be quarried there was no obligation to quarry, and therefore, the plaintiff was not damaged. ’ ’ The plaintiff’s statement of claim sets forth that “Bales Son entered upon the said premises and found therein stone suitable for quarrying purposes and quarried said stone and thereafter assigned said leasehold interest to Myron J. Carpenter, * * * and said lessee and assignee did quarry from said premises large quantities of stone until the month of December, 1910, paying to the said plaintiff herein as royalties and rent upon the said premises the sum of $12,046.08 * * * that on to-wit: the 6th day of December, 1910, the said Myron J. Carpenter by an instrument in writing assigned the said lease to the defendant herein who thereupon took possession of the said premises * * * which then and still contains large quantities of stone suitable for quarrying purposes.” As these allegations of fact are not denied in the defendant’s affidavit of merits, they stand admitted, under the rules of the Municipal Court introduced in evidence. The sole defense stated by the defendant in its affidavit of merits, save the one that the plaintiff was not damaged, is, in substance, that under the terms of the lease and assignments thereof, and regardless of the question as to whether the defendant could quarry stone profitably, the defendant was not required to remove stone from the premises and develop the premises by quarrying stone therefrom; and the defendant admits in the said affidavit that it has never removed any stone from the premises. All defenses, the nature of which are not stated in the affidavit of merits, are considered waived by the defendant and are unavailable on the trial. Kadison v. Fortune Bros. Brewing Co., 163 Ill. App. 276; Hamill v. Watts, 180 Ill. App. 279; West Coast Timber Co. v. Hughitt, 185 Ill. App. 500. The defendant did not interpose as a defense that it could not profitably remove the stone from the premises (in fact, it admits that it never made any effort to do so), and it predicates its sole defense upon the terms of the lease and the assignments thereof. Its defense, save in the matter of damages, only called for a construction of the lease and assignments. It appears that Carpenter worked the quarry with profit to the plaintiff, but that as soon as the defendant obtained possession of the premises from Carpenter no more stone was removed, but the defendant still insists on holding possession of the premises, without making any effort to work the quarry and without paying any royalty to the plaintiff.

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Related

Daughetee v. Ohio Oil Co.
263 Ill. 518 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1914)
Daughetee v. Ohio Oil Co.
151 Ill. App. 102 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1909)
Kadison v. Fortune Bros. Brewing Co.
163 Ill. App. 276 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1911)
Hamill v. Watts
180 Ill. App. 279 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1913)
West Coast Timber Co. v. Hughitt
185 Ill. App. 500 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1914)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
195 Ill. App. 471, 1915 Ill. App. LEXIS 376, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stoddard-v-illinois-improvement-ballast-co-illappct-1915.