Mull v. Boyle
Mull v. Boyle
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
Henry Mull, the owner of a tract of land, agreed with James, Charles and Ed Boyle that they were to grow a crop of wheat thereon, delivering to him one-third thereof. The.agreement was carried out. Mull thereafter brought an action against the Boyles, alleging that they had, for their own benefit, pastured cattle upon the growing wheat between November and March, and asking judgment for $120, which he alleged to be one-third of the value of the pasturage. An objection to the introduction of evidence upon this part of the petition was sustained, and from this ruling the .plaintiff appeals. A second cause of action was included in the petition, based upon the assertion that the land was injured by pasturing cattle thereon. On this count a trial was had, resulting in a verdict and judgment for the,defendants. An appeal is taken therefrom on the ground of error in the giving and refusal of instructions.
1. The petition described the agreement between the parties in these words:
“A verbal contract of lease whereby plaintiff did for the following crop season rent to defendants jointly [the land referred to] in consideration of which the defendants did agree to farm said land and; plant the same to wheat, furnish the seed therefor, harvest and thresh said wheat when matured, and deliver one-third of the crop therefrom to order of plaintiff at the nearest railway station.” .,
The plaintiff, by the use of the terms “lease” and “rent,” characterizes the contract as 'one creating the relation of landlord and tenant, and it is so treated in his brief. The argument upon which he bases his right to recover is substantially this: The'statute declares that where the rent is payable in a share of the crop the lessor shall be deemed the owner of such share (Gen. Stat. 1915, § 5980) ; it is held that the landlord has such an ownership in the growing crop that he may maintain an action for the value of his share against a third person who
Whether a part of what may be called the by-products is deemed to be included, without express mention, in an agree
The petition alleges that by the implied terms of the contract the plaintiff was entitled to.a share in the proceeds of the pasturage, but that is a mere conclusion of law and does not change the force of the allegations as to the facts concerning the contract which was actually made. It is suggested that the pasturage of the wheat amounted to the removal of the crops, giving a right of attachment. (Gen. Stat. 1915, § 5982.) This position is untenable, for it is not claimed that any injury to the crop resulted.
The conclusion announced is reached on the theory that the contract amounted to a lease, but no intimation is intended that a different result would have followed had it been interpreted as a cropper’s agreement.
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Henry Mull v. James Boyle
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- SYLLABUS BY THE COURT. 1. Landlord and Tenant — Grain Rent — Tenant Pasturing Growing Crop — Rights of Landlord. Where thé owner of land makes a contract with tenants that they are to raise, harvest and thresh a crop of wheat thereon, delivering to him one-third thereof at a railway- station, in the absence of any further agreement affecting the matter he has no claim against them for a share of the proceeds of pasturing the growing crop. 2. Same — Pasturing Growing Crop — Damage to Land. In an action by the owner against the tenants under such a contract, for damages done to the land by the pasturage, it is not error to instruct that they had a right to pasture the growing crop, being responsible to the owner for any resulting injury.