Atkins v. Chilson
Atkins v. Chilson
Opinion of the Court
The demandant places his right to enter upon the demanded premises, for breach of the condition annexed to the lease, upon two grounds. 1st. A breach of the condition not to make any alterations in the demised premises. 2d. A breach of the stipulation to keep the premises in such repair as the same were in at the commencement of the lease.
1. Upon the first point, the principal ground of complaint arises from the erection of the building by the tenant on the Stodder lot; and this, it is contended, is a violation of the agreement not to make any alterations in the premises. The effect of this act of the tenant was much considered in the former case between these parties, upon a bill in equity praying for an injunction against the tenant. Without expressing any opinion, as to the legal rights of the plaintiff in the easement claimed by him, the court were of opinion that the acts of the defendant furnished no sufficient ground for complaint by the plaintiff, during the continuance of the lease. Atkins v. Chilson, 7 Met. 398. The same is equally true in reference to these acts, when put forward, as they now are, as a ground of forfeiture of the lease. The tenant has made no alteration in the building leased to him, by any thing done directly to that building. The alteration, if any is made, is the effect produced by the erection of a building upon the adjacent lot of another person, which, it is alleged, has affected the light and air in reference to the building leased. But the tenant is alone injured by this, if it be an injury: and it is entirely competent for him to remove this new build
2. As to the forfeiture of the rights under the lease, by reason of neglect to keep the premises in repair, the tenant insists that this ground is not available to the demandant in aid of the present action, inasmuch as by the form and declared purpose of his entry to revest the estate, no effectual entry was made, except for forfeiture by reason of making alterations in the premises, in violation of the agreement in the lease. The fact is undisputed, that the entry was ac companied by a special written notice, assigning the cause and purpose of such entry to be to take possession βfor breach of the covenant against making alterations in the said premises.β
The entry might have been good and effectual, if made solely under a declaration of the general purpose to revest the estate, by reason of condition broken, without suggesting any particular breach as the occasion and purpose of the entry. But the question then arises, whether, if the party making the entry superadds to it a declaration of the specific grounds of the alleged forfeiture and cause of entry, he is not bound by his specification, and restricted to the breach alleged as the occasion of his entry. Such seems to us to be the reasonable rule. An estate upon condition subsequent is not defeated, as a matter of course, upon breach of the condition. It is wholly at the election of the part) to whom the estate reverts, whether he will avail himself of the breach as a cause of forfeiture. He may decline taking advantage of it; and
Nothing is shown, therefore, that has occasioned a forfeiture of the lease, and the plaintiff must become nonsuit.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Thomas G. Atkins v. Gardner Chilson
- Status
- Published