Leyda v. Reavis
Leyda v. Reavis
Opinion of the Court
On August 12,1903, plaintiff Leyda, an attorney at law, filed a petition in the district court for Richardson county in words and figures following: “James E. Leyda, plaintiff, complains of the defendant, Isham Reayis, and for cause of action alleges that on the 15th day of November, 3895, the defendant, Isham Reayis, entered into a contract Avith William Deroin, by the terms of which contract the said William Deroin leased to Isham Reavis for a period of five years the east half of the northeast quarter of section 9, town 1, range 17, in Richardson county, Nebraska; that some time afterwards,.about the 9th day of January, 1896, the defendant,' Isham Reavis, sublet said farm to one Peter Boltz; that the object in making said lease and sublease was to procure money to make a defense for the said Deroin, who had been informed against in the district court for Richardson county, Nebraska, and charged with shooting with intent to kill; that at this time C. F. Reavis was the county attorney of Richardson county, Nebraska, and as the public prosecutor was charged with the duty of, and did, prosecute said William Deroin on said charge; that said C. F. Reavis was a son of the defendant, Isham Reavis, and the defendant, not wishing to appear as a defending attorney in said case, in which his son was acting as a public prosecutor, requested the plaintiff, James E. Leyda, and E. W. Thomas to appear in the district court during the latter part of the year 1895 and look after the defense of the said William Deroin; that at the time said case of State of Nebraska v. William Deroin was pending in the district court for
That part of the original lease which is material to this action is as follows: “Said sum to be paid in the manner hereinafter stated, to wit, in services as. attorney in defending said Deroin against tAVO criminal charges in the district court for Eichardson county, also in the supreme court of Nebraska. That part of the sublease which is ma
Defendant demurred to this petition on the ground that the petition did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action.
It appears from the petition-that defendant employed plaintiff to appear in court and assist in the defense of Deroin. Deroin did not employ plaintiff. Defendant, as far as the petition discloses, being the only person liable to plaintiff, was not guilty of fraud by his subsequent conduct. The lease from Deroin to defendant does not create an express trust in favor-of plaintiff, or any other person. It simply recites that the rental is to be paid to defendant for services as attorney in defending Deroin. It cannot be said that the sublease was made for plaintiff’s benefit. The excerpt therefrom supra was a declaration on the part of defendant as to what he then intended to do with the rental, but it Avas not necessary for the creation of a valid lease. Defendant’s lessee was not in privity with plaintiff, and the declaration Avas no more than a statement of what defendant then intended to do with the funds of which he had control; and, for aught that appears in the petition, all the rent money may have been paid to Thomas. If so, it is not made to appear that plaintiff Avas Avronged thereby. Plaintiff assumes that the making of the lease and his appearance in defense of Deroin, at the request of defendant, entitled him to recover one-half of the rent collected. In our opinion, the most serious trouble with plaintiff’s petition is the omis
We think tbe court rightly sustained the demurrer, and recommend that its judgment be affirmed.
By the Court: For the reasons stated in the foregoing opinion, the judgment of the district court is
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- James E. Leyda v. Isham Reavis
- Status
- Published