Webber v. Shearman

6 Hill & Den. 20
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 15, 1843
StatusPublished

This text of 6 Hill & Den. 20 (Webber v. Shearman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Webber v. Shearman, 6 Hill & Den. 20 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1843).

Opinion

By the Court, Cowen, J.

When this case was here before, (3 Hill, 547,) the decision turned on the construction of the pleadings. But it is now agreed that they are so amended as to raise the question whether the continuance of possession and the relation of landlord and tenant, in virtue of the second demise from the defendant to Griswold, operated as an enlargement or extension of the first, so that the. defendant might distrain for the rent of that year. The question stands clear of the 2 R. S. 412, § 1,2c? ed. This gives a right of distress within six months after the determination of the demise on which the rent distrained for accrued, and supposes it not to be continued in any way. The demise under which the rent in question accrued expired by its original limitation on the 31st of March, 1840. A lease for a year at a rent $30 less than the first was then made, beginning on the next day; and the distress was on the 11th of August, 1841. Thus more than a year had elapsed after the first lease had in terms expired, though the possession of the same tenant had in fact continued up to the day of distress. After the second lease expired, it was enlarged for still another year by endorsement. Thus the possession of the same premises, by the same tenant, under his relation as such to the same landlord, was continued in fact from the 1st of April, 1839, to the 11th of August, 1841, and it is upon this, as one term, that the defendant distrained. In this view, therefore—not on the six months statute—the defendant is put to maintain his right.

If the demise of 1839 and that of 1840 are to be regarded as entirely distinct and independent of each other, the right of distress for the rent due under the first was gone, at least after six months from the first of April, 1840, if not on that very day. Nothing is more clearly settled by the common law than the tenant’s exemption from distress after his term has expired. This was so well understood when Coke wrote his Commentaries, that, to save a remedy by distress for the last year’s rent of the [23]*23term, the landlord reserved it at some day before the term had ended. (Co. Litt. 47, b. ; and see Pennant's case, 3 Rep. 64.) In one case the rule was applied where the tenant held over under a lease from year to year. (Stanfill v. Hickes, 1 Ld. Raym. 280; 2 Salk. 413, S. C.) The tenant, having occupied two years and more, was distrained for the rent of the first year; and the landlord was punished as a trespasser, the holding over after the second year being deemed a distinct lease at will. This was in the 9th year of Wm. 3d. A few years after, however, (7th Ann) the case was overruled, all the time of occupation under a lease from year to year being considered as an extension of the original agreement, and the whole malting but one term. (Legg v. Strudwick, 2 Salk. 414. See also Belasise v. Burbridge, in 7 Wm. 3d, 1 Lutw. 213, 214.) Shortly after these cases came the statute 8th Ann. ch. 14, §§ 6, 7, the recital in which is as follows : Whereas tenants pur auter vie and lessees for years, or at will, frequently hold over the. tenements to them demised, after the determination of such leases; and whereas after the determination of such or any other leases, no distress can by law be made for any arrears of rent that grew due on such respective leases before the determination thereof.” (12 Pick. St at. at Large, 69.) The statute then goes on to enact that the person having previous rent in arrear may distrain within six months if the possession of the tenant continue &c.

This statute speaks in general terms of the right to dis-train for rent due on the previous lease being gone on the determination of that lease; and this although the tenant hold over. It was necessary where the landlord was desirous to dis-train without that act being construed into a continuation of the lease for an additional year. In such case he might bring ejectment against the tenant or disavow an intent to continue the relation of landlord and tenant. If the latter would, notwithstanding, continue to hold, he might be distrained Avithin six months. The right to distrain is thus made to depend on the continuance of the possession without right, or permissively for a special purpose. (Nuttall v. Staunton, 4 Barn. & Cress. 51; 6 Dowl. & Ryl. 155.) It is now entirely settled, according to the [24]*24case of Legg v. Strudwick, that where the holding over is under an original agreement from year to year’, the statute has no application. And where the tenant holds .over with the consent of the landlord, express or implied, the law seizes on that circumstance, and construes the holding to be in pursuance of such an original agreement. The older books seem to be that the mere fact of distraining for rent without explanation, operates as a waiver of the tort and converts the tenancy into one from year to year, or at least operates as an extension of the last year'of the term. Keilwey reports a case to this effect so early as the 22 Hen. 7th. I say a case; perhaps it may more properly be called a strong dictum. I cite from Keilw. 96, of which, the following is a translation: “ Note. It was clearly agreed by all the justices of the common pleas that where I make a lease for the term of a year reserving certain rent, and afterwards the year is ended, and the termor holds over, I may distrain him for my rent notwithstanding that the term be passed. And also, if I will, I may distrain the beasts for doing damage.” True, he refers to what Hankford and Hill said in 14 H. 4,fol. 31, as contrary; but they do no more than lay down the general rule that you can not distrain after the term is passed. They say nothing of holding over. Rolle, in his Abridgment, (1 JRolle’s Abr. 672, pi. 10,) misquotes when he makes them talk of holding over; and what he imputes to the court in Harrison v. Metcalf does not appear by the report of the same case in Cro. Jac. 442. Beside, he admits that Keilwey is against him. Nor has Rolle been implicitly followed by modern writers who have studied the question. Bradby says, referring to Keilwey, “ If the tenant hold over, it seems to have been considered that the lease was so far continued as to warrant a distress for the rent.” (Bradb. On Distr. 127, N. Y. ed. of 1808.) I understand the justices, as reported by Keilwey, to mean that, if the landlord distrain for the rent, this is an adoption of the distrainee as his tenant, though he may also disavow the tenancy and distrain for damage feasant. This accords too with the general doctrine that you may waive a tort and take your remedy as upon a contract. Why should the tenant be allowed to defeat, the recovery of the rent [25]*25he owes by gainsaying that side of the question most favorable to him?

It is very difficult to perceive any reason for the application of the general rule, where the original relation continues in fact, though upon consecutive demises made from year to year; and clearly, since the statute of Anne, if not before, the inclination of the courts has been to look upon such a state of things as one continuous demise springing out of the intention of the parties as it existed at the first start. All the years of actual holding subsequent to the first, are brought in with that, and the whole are computed as one term.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Christman v. Floyd
9 Wend. 340 (New York Supreme Court, 1832)
Sherwood v. Phillips
13 Wend. 479 (New York Supreme Court, 1835)
Franciscus v. Reigart
4 Watts 98 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1835)
Jones v. Gundrim
3 Watts & Serg. 531 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1842)
Roberts v. Tennell
14 Ky. 286 (Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1823)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
6 Hill & Den. 20, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/webber-v-shearman-nysupct-1843.