Whitcomb v. Indianapolis Traction & Terminal Co.

116 N.E. 444, 64 Ind. App. 605, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 90
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 6, 1917
DocketNo. 9,275
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 116 N.E. 444 (Whitcomb v. Indianapolis Traction & Terminal Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Whitcomb v. Indianapolis Traction & Terminal Co., 116 N.E. 444, 64 Ind. App. 605, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 90 (Ind. Ct. App. 1917).

Opinion

Batman, J.

This action was begun on August 24, 1914, before a justice of the peace of Marion county, Indiana. It is a statutory proceeding, brought by .appellee against appellant, to recover the possession of certain premises on account of the failure of appellant to pay an instalment of rent therefor amounting to $466.67, due on August 1, 1914. After the filing of the complaint and before judgment, appellant tendered and paid into the court the sum of $569.67 in payment of such rent, damages and costs. A trial was had before such justice of the peace, and a judgment rendered in favor of appellee on August 31, 1914. Appellant appealed to the circuit court of Marion county, where he filed three paragraphs of answer, the first of which was a general denial, and the other two set up facts on. which he based waiver and estoppel. Appellee filed a reply in general denial to said affirmative paragraphs of answer. Trial was had, and on March 10, 1915, judgment was rendered in favor of appellee, from which appellant prosecutes this appeal. The only error assigned calls into question the action of the court in overruling the motion for a new trial. In its motion appellant alleges that the decision of the court is not sustained by sufficient evidence and is contrary to law, [608]*608and that the court erred in admitting and refusing to admit certain evidence.

An examination of the record discloses that the uncontradicted evidence establishes among other things the following facts: On September 80, 1904, appellee executed a lease to appellant for certain premises in Indianapolis, Indiana, for a period of ten years, commencing on September 1, 1904, and ending on August 31, 1914, at a rental of $5,000 for each of the first two years, $5,500 for each year for the next three years, and $5,600 for each year for the next five years, payable in advance in equal monthly instalments on the first day of each and every month during said term at the office of appellee in Indianapolis, Indiana, or at such other place in said city as it should from time to time by written notice left at the premises, appoint. The lease was made subject to certain terms and conditions, among which are the following:

“Seventh: Said lessee, for his heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns hereby covenants and agrees with said Lessor, its successors and assigns, that he will pay said rents in manner aforesaid: That he will observe and perform each and every condition and provision of this lease upon him imposed; that if default be made in' payment of said rent, or any part thereof, for ten days after it shall become due, and without demand made therefor, or if said. lesse'e, without lessor’s consent, shall assign this lease or under-let said premises, or any part thereof, or shall use said premises for any other than the purpose aforesaid, or shall fail to observe and perform any of the other conditions, agreements rules or provisions of this lease, it shall be lawful thereupon for said lessor to re-enter and re-possess said premises, and to remove all persons and' property therefrom, in the same manner and with the same rights as if this lease had not been made, and for the purpose of such re-entry, said lessee hereby waives any notice prescribed by law, in writing or otherwise to vacate said premises.
[609]*609“And to secure the payment of rent accruing hereunder, said Lessor is hereby given a valid and first lien upon all property which, at any time, may be in or upon said leased premises.”
“Eleventh: The lessee, provided he gives notice of his election so to do, in writing to the lessor three months before the expiration of the first ten-year term, shall have the right to a renewal of this lease for another period of ten (10) years upon the following terms, viz.: for the first five (5) years of said second term the rent to be at the rate of Six Thousand Dollars ($6000.00) per year, and for the second half of the second term of ten (10) years, the rent shall be at the rate of Seven Thousand Dollars ($7000.00) per year, but, if at the expiration of the first ten-year period, the lessor is unwilling to confirm to the lessee the second term of ten years at the annual rentals as above set forth, as it shall have the right to do, then and in lieu thereof, the following form of arbitration is hereby agreed upon, to-wit: each party hereto shall nominate a citizen of Indianapolis of good repute 'and they together shall agree upon and select a third, and the three persons so selected shall form an arbitration committee who shall determine how much rent the lessee shall pay each year of said second term of ten years.”

Appellant entered into possession of such premises, by virtue of said lease, soon after the execution thereof, and has retained such possession continuously since said date. Prior to the commencement of this action appellant had paid all of the monthly instalments of rent for said premises as provided in sáid lease except the instalment of $466.67 falling due on August 1, 1914, and that such instalment, with $100 damages and $8.00 costs, was paid into court for the use of appellee after the commencement of this action and prior to the rendition of the judgment before the justice of the peace.

On May 25, 1914, appellant served the following notice on appellee:

[610]*610“To Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company:
“Whereas, the lease from your company to me dated the 30th day of September, 1904, demising to me premises Nos. 116 and 118 on the street floor of your building known as the Traction Terminal Building on the northwest corner of Illinois and Market Streets in said City of Indianapolis, Indiana, containing the following provision and agreement: (Here follows a verbatim copy of item eleven of said lease as set out supra.)
“You are hereby notified that pursuant to the above quoted paragraph of said lease I have elected and do hereby elect to renew said lease for another period of ten years commencing on the 1st of September, 1914, and ending on the 31st day of August, 1924, the rental to be at the rate of six thousand dollars ($6000.00) per year for the first five years of said second or additional term and at the rate of seven thousand dollars ($7000.00) per year for the second half of the second or additional term of ten years, as provided in said paragraph of said lease; or if your company is unwilling to confirm to me the said second term of ten years at said annual rental, then and in such event the rent for said additional term shall be fixed-by arbitration, all as provided in the paragraph aforesaid and in conformity with said lease as it now subsists between us. And pursuant to such election I shall continue to hold, occupy and u.se said premises in conformity with said lease as renewed for said additional or second term of ten years, and as your tenant at the rental aforesaid, or the rental to be fixed by arbitration as provided in the paragraph aforesaid. (Signed)
Dated May 18, 1914. James Whitcomb.”

Appellant tendered to appellee on the first days of September and October, 1914, the rent for such current months, and appellee then notified appellant that he should lose no rights by failure to make further tenders for succeeding months.

Appellant first contends that appellee, by its com? plaint in this action, is seeking to avail itself of a remedy provided by statute where rent is payable in ad[611]

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
116 N.E. 444, 64 Ind. App. 605, 1917 Ind. App. LEXIS 90, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/whitcomb-v-indianapolis-traction-terminal-co-indctapp-1917.