Horton v. Lee
Horton v. Lee
Opinion of the Court
On September 27, 1912, J. A. Lee leased certain agricultural land to J. B. Sears for three years, to wit, 1913, 1914, 1915, Sears agreeing to pay $190 for each year and for which he executed his three promissory notes for $190 each. The first note for the 1913 rent was paid. J. A. Lee then died, leaving surviving him his widow, appellee. J. B. Sears sublet to H. Horton the land for 1914 and 1915. Mrs. Lee now sues to recover on the rent note for 1914, making J. B. Sears the maker and H. Horton subtenant, who she claims is liable for wrongfully removing the products from the rented premises, and asks a foreclosure of the landlord’s lien on five bales of cotton. Horton answered that Sears sublet said land to him without objection of Lee, and plaintiff is estopped from questioning the legality of same; that he has paid Sears the rent for 1914 and 1915, by giving his notes which have been transferred to innocent holders, etc.; that if liable at all, he is liable on account and not on said note, as he did not sign it, nor assume it; that said cotton has been removed from said rented premises for more than 30 days before the distress warrant was levied, and the landlord’s lien is lost.
“Under such circumstances, whatever contract an assignee or undertenant may make with the original lessee, he must be understood impliedly to assume towards the lessor the relation of tenant, and to consent that the lien given by statute shall exist. * * * If the landlord consents expressly or impliedly to the occupation of his land by an assignor ox undertenant, the relation of landlord and tenant necessarily exists between him and such person; for under the statute such holdings are illegal without such consent.”
It seems from the foregoing that Horton made himself a tenant, and, having converted to his own use the cotton raised on the rented premises, he became liable for the rent.
The case of Gaw v. Bingham, 107 S. W. 931, relied on by appellee in support of this judgment, is based upon a state of facts different from those in this case. There the cotton had been removed for over one month, but it had been stored on the premises of the landlord, and it was practically in his possession.
The judgment of foreclosure of lien is reversed and rendered, and it is affirmed in all other respects.
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