Camarillo v. Fenlon
Camarillo v. Fenlon
Opinion of the Court
The defendant entered into possession of the premises described in the complaint, under the lease mentioned in the findings. His term expired in October, 1871. In December of that year, plaintiff executed a lease of the same premises to one Dempsey, and one of the findings is that “ said Dempsey, under the same, entered upon and took possession of the premises described in said lease of defendant, except about two hundred acres, and said Dempsey is still in possession of the same.” It is also found “ that defendant is still in possession of two hundred acres of the original eight hundred and seventy leased from plaintiff.” In May, 1872, “ plaintiff duly served defendant with notice to deliver up to plaintiff the possession,” etc.
It is manifest that the District Court properly refused to give the plaintiff judgment for damages by way of mesne profits, because there is no finding as to the value of the use and occupation of the two hundred acres.
The respondent argues that the judgment of the District Court that defendant retain the possession of the two hundred acres ought not to be disturbed, because the lease was obtained fraudulently. But, assuming that a tenant who is let into possession by the lessor, can ever refuse to surrender the possession on the ground that the lessor falsely represented himself to be the owner of the property, there is no finding in this case that the plaintiff, by fraud, induced the defendant to accept the lease.
Respondent further urges that the judgment should be permitted to stand, because (by reason of the facts set forth in the finding with respect to the lease to Dempsey and his entry under it), the plaintiff had transferred his right to the possession of all the land. If a landlord, having the possession, refuses to give it to a lessee, according to the
The third point of respondent is, that plaintiff is not entitled to a judgment for the possession of the tract described in his lease to the defendant, because the two hundred acres are not specifically described in the pleading or findings. This is answered by the case of Vallejo v. Fay, 10 Cal. 377.
The next objection to a recovery by plaintiff is, that Lorenzaña, having the paramount title, could have evicted defendant, and a demand for a surrender of possession, was equivalent to an eviction. Admitting, for the purposes of this case, that such constructive eviction could constitute a defense to an ejectment brought by the landlord and against his tenant holding over, it devolved on the defendant in the Court below to prove both the paramount title and a demand made before this action was brought.
Lorenzaña did not acquire the legal title until after de
Judgment reversed and cause remanded, with direction to District Court to enter judgment in favor of plaintiff for the possession of the premises described in the complaint, without damages.
Mr. Justice Rhodes did not express an opinion.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- JUAN CAMARILLO v. JAMES FENLON
- Status
- Lorenzana notified the defendant to deliver to her that portion of the premises included in her judgment. The defendant gave the plaintiff notice of this demand
- Syllabus
- Judgment in Ejectment.—When, in ejectment, there is no finding as to the value of the use and occupation ,of the premises, the plaintiff is not entitled to judgment for damages by way of mesne profits. Refusal of Tenant to Restore Premises to Landlord.—If it be assumed that the law justifies a tenant in refusing to surrender possession of the demised premises to his landlord, on the ground that the landlord falsely represented himself to be the owner of the property, it must not only be found that this false representation was made, but that the tenant was induced by the fraud to accept the lease. ..Abandonment of Lease.—If the landlord, after the lease is executed, cannot give the tenant possession of all the demised premises, and the tenant accepts of and enters into possession of a part, this is an abandonment of the contract of lease, and a waiver of its terms,'and the landlord, notwithstanding the lease, may maintain ejectment to recover-that portion of the leased property which he could not deliver to the tenant. Judgment in Ejectment.—If the defendant in ejectment is in possession of only a part of the demanded premises, and the plaintiff owns the whole, and claims no damages, the defendant is not injured by a judgment in favor of the plaintiff for the whole tract. Refusal of Tenant to Surrender the Premises.—If the tenant can refuse to surrender to the landlord the premises leased, at the termination of the lease, on the ground that the landlord does not have the paramount title, and that the owner of the paramount title has made a demand on him for a surrender of the premises, it devolves on the tenant, in ejectment brought by the landlord, to prove both the paramount title, and that such demand was made before the landlord commenced his action. Plaintiff in Ejectment.—If the plaintiff in ejectment parts with the title to the demanded premises, pending the action, the action may be continued in his name, unless the grantee applies to be substituted as plaintiff.