Mangum v. Stadel
Mangum v. Stadel
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
In January, 1904, Elizabeth B. Mangum leased her farm to M. C. Cooney for $150 per year, taking his note for that amount, due the following-December. Cooney raised a.crop of corn on the farm and sold a portion of it to Henry Stadel for $117.50. He paid $35 on his note, leaving $115 of the rent unpaid, which under the statute was a lien on the corn grown on the premises, including that sold to Stadel..
The question arises, Was there testimony tending to show that Stadel had notice of the lien? The statute gives the landlord a lien on the crops of his tenant for the payment of the rent. The lien may be enforced against the crop after it has passed into the hands of a purchaser with notice of the lien, wherever it can be identified, by a proceeding against such purchaser to recover the value of the crop purchased to the extent of the unpaid rent and damages. To charge a purchaser with notice of a lien actual notice is not necessary. A person cannot be a bona fide purchaser who has brought to his attention facts which should have put him upon inquiry — an inquiry which if pursued with due diligence would have led to a knowledge of the lien. (Scully v. Porter, 57 Kan. 322, 46 Pac. 313; Stadel v. Aikins, 65 Kan. 82, 68 Pac. 1088.) Without doubt the plaintiff had a lien upon the corn sold Stadel, but it was one which was not enforceable against a bona fide purchaser. This follows from the fact that the statute gives a remedy against a purchaser with notice, implying that there is no remedy against one who purchases in good faith and without notice. The plaintiff’s action is practically based upon a charge of bad faith in the purchaser; that is, of the purchase of the corn with notice of the plaintiff’s lien. While the statute gives a lien, bad faith in the purchaser cannot be presumed. Stadel was not required to show his good faith, and the burden of showing that the purchase was made with notice of the lien was upon the plaintiff.
Did plaintiff offer testimony tending to show notice
“When a person purchases grain from a tenant, either on or some distance from the leased premises,, with knowledge of the relation of landlord and tenant, or of the facts which should have prompted inquiry as. to the existence of a lien in favor of the landlord on crops grown on the leased land, he cannot escape liability to the landlord.” (Stadel v. Aikins, 65 Kan. 82, 85, 68 Pac. 1088.)
Enough was brought out in the testimony to give-
The ruling of the court sustaining the demurrer to plaintiff’s evidence is reversed and the cause remanded for a new trial.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elizabeth B. Mangum v. Henry Stadel
- Cited By
- 12 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Landlord’s Lien — ■Purchaser of Tenants Crop with Notice-Burden of Proof. In an action by a landlord to recover from ■ a purchaser of a crop grown upon rented premises and subject, to a lien the value of such crop to the extent of the unpaid rent the burden of showing that the purchase was made with notice of the lien rests upon the plaintiff. 2. - Constructive Notice. To charge a purchaser of a crop. grown on rented land with notice of a landlord’s lien actual knowledge of the lien is not necessary. 3. -Facts that Naturally Excite Inquiry. If the purchaser has knowledge of facts which naturally excite inquiry, and of one that reasonably leads to a knowledge of the lien, it is his duty to inquire; and testimony sufficient to require inquiry is testimony of notice. 4. -Notice a Question for the Jury. The testimony tending to show notice of the lien in the present case held to be. sufficient to require the submission of the case to the jury.