Mace v. Wilson
Mace v. Wilson
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff leased a farm from the heirs of Nathan and Maria Griffith for one year from April 1, 1904, with the privilege of an additional year at the annual rental of $275. The lease contained the clause "No wheat straw to be sold off the premises.” The tenant exercised the option for the additional year, the effect of which was to create a two years’ term under the original lease. He subsequently held over from year to year until the first day of April, 1909, at which later date a crop of wheat sowed by him was growing on the farm. During the last year of his tenancy the defendant became the owner of the farm, and when the plaintiff at harvest time was about to remove the straw from the premises the defendant prevented him from so doing, claiming the straw under the provisions in the lease above quoted. The plaintiff offered evidence to show that at the time the lease was executed a verbal agreement was entered into between him and the lessors to the effect that if he held over on the
The judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Landlord and tenant — Lease—Oral agreement — Evidence—Removal of straw from premises. 1. Where a lease for a year with a privilege of an additional year, contains a provision that no wheat straw should be sold off the premises, and the tenant holds over from year to year for several years, and finally in the last year of his tenancy attempts to remove the wheat straw, but is prevented by the lessor’s successor in title to the leased premises, the lessee may show in an action for the price of the straw, that at the time the lease was executed a verbal agreement was entered into between him and the lessor to the effect that if he held over after the termination of the lease he should be required to leave at the end of his tenancy no more straw than was in the place at the beginning of his term, and that he in fact did leave a greater quantity of straw than was in the place at the beginning. The admission of such evidence does not violate the general rule prohibiting the proof of an oral agreement to vary the written instrument without proof of fraud, accident or mistake. 2. In such a case the successor in title of the lessor acquired no greater right than that of his grantor, and was put on inquiry as to the terms of the lessee’s tenancy.