Warren v. Driscoll

242 N.W. 346, 186 Minn. 1, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 827
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedApril 15, 1932
DocketNo. 28,477.
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 242 N.W. 346 (Warren v. Driscoll) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Warren v. Driscoll, 242 N.W. 346, 186 Minn. 1, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 827 (Mich. 1932).

Opinion

Dibell, J.

Action by Lawrence Warren and the National Surety Company against F. J. Driscoll and Adolph Sucker for. an accounting. There was judgment for the plaintiffs, and the defendants appeal.

On September 17, 1927, Sucker, the owner of a quarter section of land in Martin county, leased it to Warren from March 1, 1928, to March 1, 1929, for a cash rental of $1,040, of which $100 ivas to be paid on January 1, 1928, $400 on or before September 1, 1928, and $540 on or before February 1, 1929. The lease contained this provision:

“And it is Further Agreed, By and between the parties, as follows: That should the said second party fail to make the above mentioned payments as herein specified, or to pay any of the rent aforesaid when due, or fail to fulfill any of the covenants herein contained, then and in that case said first party may re-enter and take possession of the above rented premises, and hold and enjoy ■ the same without such re-entering working a forfeiture of the rents to be paid by the second party for the full term of this lease.”

and further this:

“To secure the payment of the rents herein specified and the faithful performance and strict fulfillment of all the covenants of said second party in this lease contained, said second party does hereby expressly mortgage unto said first party all crops growing or grown on said premises during the term of this lease, and does hereby expressly authorize and fully empower said first party in the case of any default on the part of said second party in paying said rent or in performing any of the covenants in this lease, to seize
*3 and take possession of said mortgaged property at once, and sell the same at public auction, with notice as provided by law and out of the proceeds of said sale, to pay and discharge all rents, damages and expenses which may at the time be due and incurred, and pay over to said second party the surplus money arising from such sale.”

Warren Avent into possession on March 1, 1928, and occupied personally until July 16, 1928. At that time he had not paid the $100 rent which became due on January 1, 1928. On July 16, 1928, or about tha.t time, there being an occasional discrepancy in the record relative to dates, he was confined in the county jail under a conviction for maintaining a liquor nuisance upon the premises. Sucker claims a right of forfeiture under the national prohibition act of October 28, 1919; also because of Warren’s failure to pay the first instalment of rent.

On July 19, 1928, he visited Warren at the jail. They talked about the harvesting of the crops and the use of Warren’s horses and equipment. Warren gave him a writing as folloAvs:

“To Adolph Sucker
“Lewisville, Minn.:
“You are hereby authorized and requested to take full charge and direction of all my personal property and crops located on SE14 of Sec. 22 of ToAvnsliip 104, Range 29, Martin County, Minnesota. With the right to cut, harvest, and thresh any and all such grain as there is on above farm, take full possession of the building, dispose of the crops at market value, and after paying expenses of harvesting, cutting, threshing and hauling to toAvn and to make a proper accounting thereof to me and my Avife Luverne Warren.
“Dated July 19, 1928.
“LaAvrence Warren.”

On July 25, 1928, Warren assumed to annul this agreement and informed Sucker that his wife’s stepfather would take charge of the property and harvest the grain. On July 27, 1928, Sucker assumed to forfeit the lease formally. He leased the farm the same day to *4 the defendant Driscoll for a term ending February 28, 1929, for $1,290. A day or two after Warren ivas put in jail Lohman Hulbert, the stepfather of Warren, visited him. There was some arrangement made by them that Hulbert should take care of the stock and harvest the crops.

At the time of Warren’s commitment to jail the barley ivas ready for cutting. The oats were not, nor the succotash or flax. Warren had harvested nothing except the first crop of alfalfa, and there was a second crop growing. The corn, except a negligible amount, had been plowed four or five times and laid by. It was not ready for harvest. There ivas some unmatured garden truck.

On August 20,1928, Warren brought an action in replevin against Driscoll to recover the small grain which had been threshed; on the ninth day of September he brought an action to recover other small grain; and on October 9, 1928, he brought an action to recover the corn then upon the land and ripe. In each of these cases the plaintiff National Surety Company ivas surety upon the replevin bond. In the first two the defendants rebonded. In the third they did not, and Warren later harvested the corn. Sucker intervened in all three.

These three replevin actions were tried, and the defendants prevailed. On appeal the trial court was sustained. The case is reported as Warren v. Driscoll, 178 Minn. 344, 227 N. W. 199, 200. The court stated the nature of the action as folloAvs [178 Minn. 346]:

“This is merely a possessory action, and nothing is determined herein but that plaintiff did not show that he Avas entitled to the immediate possession of the property at the times Avhen the respective actions were instituted; and for the reasons indicated defendant and intervener were entitled to a directed verdict in each case.”

The result is that the defendants obtained the small grain and in effect judgment against the plaintiffs for $1,941.05 for the corn. Warren, on the claim of the defendants, got nothing for his labor or investment.

Sucker claims a forfeiture for a violation of the conditions of the lease as to rent and because Warren maintained a liquor nuisance upon the farm. He also claims an abandonment.

*5 Forfeitures are not favored and will not be enforced when great injustice is done thereby and the one seeking a forfeiture is adequately protected without. Hanley Falls Creamery Co. v. Milton Dairy Co. 126 Minn. 226, 148 N. W. 46, 52 L.R.A.(N.S.) 718; 4 Dunnell, Minn. Dig. (2 ed.) § 5437; 16 R. C. L. p. 1116, § 634, et seq. And the right of forfeiture may be waived. 4 Dunnell, Minn. Dig. (2 ed. & Supp.) § 5439; 1 Tiffany, Landlord & Tenant, p. 1174, § 182 (j).

Sucker claims a right of forfeiture under the national prohibition act of October 28, 1919, 41 St. p. 314, c. 85, § 23, 27 ÜSCA, § 37, which provides:

“Any violation of this chapter upon any leased premises by the lessee or occupant thereof shall, at the option of the lessor, work a forfeiture of the lease.”

The statute, it has been held, does not require a conviction; a violation is sufficient. Burke v. Bryant, 283 Pa. 114, 128 A. 821. A number of cases are cited in the notes to USCA bearing upon the statute. In his written notice of cancelation of date July 27, 1928, Sucker said nothing about the violation of the prohibition act. He stated that his ground of action was this:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
242 N.W. 346, 186 Minn. 1, 1932 Minn. LEXIS 827, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/warren-v-driscoll-minn-1932.