Ward v. Miller

13 Alaska 752
CourtDistrict Court, D. Alaska
DecidedSeptember 8, 1952
DocketNo. 7008
StatusPublished

This text of 13 Alaska 752 (Ward v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ward v. Miller, 13 Alaska 752 (D. Alaska 1952).

Opinion

PRATT, District Judge.

Both parties herein claim title through the ownership of Dave and Beatrice Dittman of the land in controversy herein. The Dittmans gave an option to purchase said property to Clarence Johnson and Bennie Jackson, which option was duly paid for and taken up by said optionees or their successor in interest, Travis M. Ward.

On February 1, 1949, when Bennie Jackson and Clarence Johnson owned said property, Bennie Jackson, without joining his co-tenant, Clarence Johnson, as lessor, executed a lease (Exhibit 1 herein) upon the land in controversy in favor of Charles and Goldie James, as lessees, to terminate on the 31st day of January, 1953. The rent therein reserved to the lessors was $400 per month. By an instrument of date June 2, 1949 (Exhibit G herein) said Jackson and said Johnson executed an instrument supplemental to said lease of February 1, 1949, and fixed the rent for the ground leased as $200 per month, for the first five months of the calendar year and $400 per month for the balance of the year.

This supplemental lease was .signed by both of said lessors. It cured the defect in said lease.

The notice to terminate tenancy (Exhibit F herein) states as a ground therefor that defendant permitted the [755]*755premises to be used for illegal purposes. As there is no evidence to support such an allegation, the same may be no further considered.

The notice to terminate the lease states as a ground for the termination that the lease (Exhibit 1 hereof) was assigned by the lessees, Charles and Goldie James, to the defendant without the written consent of the lessors.

The lease of February 1, 1949, provided that the lease could not be assigned by the lessees without the written consent of the lessors previously having been obtained. However, the matter of this unauthorized assignment was not made an issue in the case and was inferentially ratified by the lessors and their successor in interest, Travis M. Ward, by their failure to declare a forfeiture for such assignment when the assignee, Louise Miller, took possession of the property on the 9th of September, 1949, and retained such possession at all times thereafter to the knowledge of said lessors and said Travis M. Ward.

Also the acceptance and retention of the rent by plaintiff as mentioned in Exhibit F constitutes a waiver of the provision requiring the consent of the lessors to an assignment of the lease. Exhibit H likewise shows that even in 1951 the following checks of Louise Miller were given to the plaintiff and retained by her, to wit:

1-29-51 No. 24322 $225.50
2-27-51 No. 24396 224.50
3-29-51 No. 24504 223.50

and the total of those three checks is $673.50. This also constitutes a waiver of objection to an assignment without the consent of the lessors. Blessing v. Fetters, 1919, 40 Cal.App. 471, 181 P. 108; Batley v. Dewalt, 1909, 56 Wash. 431, 105 P. 1029; Knickerbocker v. Norton, 96 U.S. 234, 24 L.Ed. 689; Syracuse Sav. Bank v. D’Elia, 185 Misc. 928, 56 N.Y.S.2d 800; Hunt v. Shell Oil, 10 Cir., 116 F.2d 598; Warner v. Cochrane, 2 Cir., 128 F. 553.

[756]*756The undisputed evidence of the defendant was to the effect that in the fall of 1949 Bennie Jackson came out to the property in controversy in this case and took away the piano. As defendant was in possession of the premises and Bennie Jackson could not have helped but see her there, it becomes apparent that he knew of or should have, known of the assignment of the lease.

Defendant’s further testimony was that in the spring of 1950 she talked with Travis M. Ward and told her about the floor buckling at the Owl Club, the name commonly used to describe the property, in controversy in this case. The defendant asked Travis M. Ward to do something about the buckling floor and Travis M. Ward sent her husband out and he jacked the same up and remedied the trouble. Both he and his wife knew from the incidents mentioned that the defendant was in possession of said Owl Club.

In paragraph 3 of said eviction, notice it is alleged as a ground therefor that Clarence Johnson did. not join with his co-tenant, Bennie Jackson, in executing the lease of February 1, 1949. Such statement is true, but as herein-before explained it was cured by both co-tenants executing the instrument of June 2, 1949 above mentioned (Exhibit G).

Upon the 27th day of July, 1949, Bennie Jackson, Clarence Johnson, Charles James, and Goldie James met in the law office of Quincy Benton and agreed that an instrument should be executed allowing Charles and Goldie James to spend the rent money for July, August, and September, 1949, in gravelling and repairing the premises and putting in a furnace. All of said persons except Bennie Jackson also agreed to insert in said instrument an option provision allowing Charles and Goldie Janies to purchase the property any time prior to January 1, 1951, for the sum of $10,200 (oneThalf to be paid upon the exercise of the op[757]*757tion and the balance paid at the rate of $200 per month with six percent interest on deferred payments).

The agreement was drawn up and signed by Clarence Johnson, Charles James, and Goldie James. Bennie Jackson did not sign it. He testified that he left Benton’s office, stating that he would not consent to said option provision. Quincy Benton states that while they were waiting for the preparation of the instrument Bennie Jackson said he was going out to get a drink and that he would be back and sign the agreement then, but that he never returned. Whichever way it happéned, it is certain Bennie Jackson never signed the agreement. The instrument named Clarence Johnson and Bennie Jackson as parties of the first part and made provision for the sale of the complete title of both Johnson and Jackson (Exhibit 2 herein). It made no provision for Charles and Goldie James to buy merely a half interest in the property. No provision was made to buy the half interest of either co-owner separate from the half interest of the other co-owner.

The undisputed evidence shows that when Clarence Johnson signed the instrument he stated to the others that the paper was no good unless it was also signed by Bennie Jackson. He took no action or made no statement which would indicate that he was selling his undivided interest even though Bennie Jackson did not sell his half interest. The instrument was left in the original condition with the two co-owners named as parties of the first part. The form of option extended to the title of both Clarence Johnson and Bennie Jackson and was never changed.

The option provision of the said agreement of July 27, 1949 (Exhibit 2) therefore was not binding upon Bennie Jackson or upon Clarence Johnson. Johnson’s signing was a contingent matter and his actions and statements show that he did not intend that the agreement should be delivered unless Bennie Jackson joined in the execution thereof.

[758]*758The contract was not a completed instrument and was not binding on either co-owner, as to said option provision. Stockyards Nat. Bank of South Omaha v. Bragg, 1925, 67 Utah 60, 245 P. 966; Kelley v. Ill. Central R. Co., 1944, 352 Mo. 301, 177 S.W.2d 435; Meredith v.

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13 Alaska 752, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ward-v-miller-akd-1952.