Wilson v. Davis

153 S.W.2d 171, 202 Ark. 827, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 259
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 7, 1941
Docket4-6422
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 153 S.W.2d 171 (Wilson v. Davis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wilson v. Davis, 153 S.W.2d 171, 202 Ark. 827, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 259 (Ark. 1941).

Opinion

Humphreys, J.

Appellees brought suit in the chancery court of Arkansas county on October 6, 1938, alleging that they were the owners of a building in the city of DeWitt, and that the front part of the building including doors, windows, hinges, lights and porch were attached to and were a part of the building. Appellees also alleged that they are the owners of the land immediately in the rear of the building upon which is a projection room built of concrete and tin and all wiring and light fixtures attached to the building are a part of the same, and that such fixtures can not be removed without defacing or impairing the value of the building. They also alleged that appellant was threatening to tear out all of the fixtures and parts of the building which would cause them irreparable damage and injury. They prayed for an order of the'court enjoining and restraining appellant from entering upon said property and removing said appurtenances and fixtures and for damages.

A temporary restraining order was issued enjoining appellant from removing or tearing from the building the front end, the porch, doors, hinges, locks, windows, light wires, concrete foundation in the rear of the building and the tin shed located thereon. No notice of the application for the restraining order was given appellant, but the order was served on him on the 6th day of October, 1938.

On October 28, 1938, appellant filed a motion to vacate the temporary restraining order alleging that no summons was ever served upon him notifying him of the pendency of the spit, and that he never received any notice that plaintiffs would apply for a temporary restraining order.

It seems that no action was taken by the court on the motion to vacate the temporary restraining order.

Appellant filed an answer denying each and every material allegation contained in the complaint and prayed that it be dismissed.

He also filed a cross-complaint alleging that he entered into possession of the building in question on the first day of February, 1926, under a written contract with T. J. Davis which contained a provision to rent the building for additional time until January 1, 1933, at $75 per month. He alleged that the lease was renewed from time to time by attaching written riders to the contract, and that subsequent to the death of T. J. Davis, R. M. Davis, one of the appellees, continued to accept the rentals from such building under the terms of the lease. He also alleged that the written contract contained a provision as follows:

“And the second party reserves the right when he discontinues the use of said building to remove therefrom all furniture, fixtures, woodwork, screen, booths, and other material of every kind and nature placed there by him or by others for him. Except flooring.”

A copy of the lease was attached to the cross-complaint and marked “Exhibit A.” Appellant alleged in his cross-complaint that appellees without notice to him, unlawfully seized the building described in the lease contract and refused to allow appellant to remove the front partition from the building of the value of $150, the front porch of the value of $100, the projection booth of the value of $300, light wires of the value of $40, and screen frames and ticket booth of the value of $100 all of which belonged to him under the reservations set out in the contract and that appellees deprived appellant of $65 rent which he paid them for the month of October, 1938, and that he was evicted from the building before the expiration of the term. He prayed for $775 damages on account of the breach of the contract 'by appellees and for a mandatory injunction directing him to deliver possession of the personal property aforesaid to him.

Appellees filed an answer in reply to the cross-complaint alleging, in substance, that after the death of T. J. Davis in 1935, appellant had no contract with appellees or with R. ÍL Davis, administrator of the estate of T. J. Davis, deceased, for the occupancy of the building or of the land in the rear of the building; denied that T. J. Davis was the true owner of the building, and the land in the rear thereof in 1926 when appellant rented said property from him; denied that appellant had paid the rent for the month of October, 1938, but stated that appellant was in arrears with the rent. They also prayed for an accounting of all checks, receipts, and other evidences showing payment of rent. They also alleged that appellant had built for himself another building- to operate a picture show and had moved into the new building and left the old building* open and exposed to the danger of trespassers and vandalism and fire hazard and that appellant had torn out and destroyed doors, hinges, locks, light wiring and permanent fixtures. They alleged that they had been damaged in the sum of $766.90 on account of his removal of the fixtures from the building and for the removal of the building* and projection booth, etc., in the rear of the building which had been attached to the building.

The cause was submitted to the court upon the pleading’s and the testimony introduced by the respective parties which resulted in a finding that neither the appellees nor appellant had been damaged in any sum whatever, and based upon such finding rendered a decree dismissing* appellees’ complaint and appellant’s cross-complaint for want of equity, and that appellees were entitled to retain, keep and hold all of the fixtures and personal property located in the building, and that neither appellees nor appellant should recover any damages, and denied a mandatory injunction directing the appellees to deliver the possession of the remaining property, and that the costs incurred should be borne by each equally.

From the findings and judgment of the court dismissing’ the cross-complaint of appellant and from the ■ findings and decree of the court refusing the issuance of a mandatory injunction appellant prayed and has duly prosecuted an appeal to this court.

The lease contract relied upon by appellant as authority for dismantling the building and removing therefrom all the improvements he had made therein and the structures he had placed on the land back of the building in remodeling same for use as a picture show was introduced in evidence. It contains erasures appearing in the face of the instrument and is as follows:

“Contract of Lease

“Know all men by these presents:

“That this contract of lease, made and entered into on this the 1st day of February by and between T. J. Davis, party of the first part, and Kay A. Wilson, party of the second part, both of DeWitt, Arkansas.

“Witnesseth: That for and in consideration of the sum of $65 per month, payable on the first of each month, the party of the first part does hereby lease to party of the second part his brick building on south side of the court square, in the town of DeWitt, Arkansas county, • Arkansas, formerly occupied by the DeWitt Pharmacy for a period of one year with the option on the part of the second party of retaining said building another year or as much longer as he may desire up to Jan. 1, 1330 1933, at $75 per month payable as above stated. Immediate possession is to be given to second party.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
153 S.W.2d 171, 202 Ark. 827, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 259, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilson-v-davis-ark-1941.