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2 Hilt. 540

Hurd v. Miller

New York Court of Common Pleas

Decided January 20, 1859

New York Court of Common Pleas · decided 1859-01-20

Demurrer to a complaint. jThe complaint was in the following form: “ That, during the year 1857, he (said plaintiff) was the lessee and tenant of a certain lot of land in Hudson city, state of New Jersey, containing about six acres, said lot being a vacant lot, used as a cattle yard and pasture, and situate in said city near and between the court house and the residence of Judge E. T. Carpenter, and near and between Newark avenue and the Hoboken road.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently September 1897

1 state decisions

Relies on Featherstonhaugh v. Bradshaw · Watts' Administrators v. Kinney

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1859-01-20

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Brady, J.

¶1Assumpsit will he at common law for rent upon an express, but not upon an implied promise, (Buller’s N. P. 138; 3 Lev. 150; Featherstonhaugh v. Bradshaw, 1 Wend. 135), even where the use and occupation was by permission of the plaintiff. Lewis v. Wallace, Buller’s N. P. 139. By the Revised Statutes any landlord may recover, in this form of action, a reasonable satisfaction for the use and occupation of any lands or tenements, by any person under any agreement not made by deed; (1 R. S. 478, § 26); and it has been held that this statute applied only to the case of a demise, and when there existed the relation of landlord and tenant, founded on some agreement express or implied. Smith v. Stewart, 6 Johns. R. 36; Osgood v. Dewey, 13 Johns. R. 240; Abeel v. Radcliff, id. 297; Bancroft v. Wardwell, id.. 489; Featherstonhaugh v. Bradshaw, supra; Wood v. Wilcox, 1 Denio, 37.

¶2If the plaintiff had alleged in his complaint that the defendant used and occupied his premises, and had claimed a sum as a reasonable satisfaction therefor, that might possibly have been sufficient to sustain his action, but he repudiates the relation of landlord and tenant, by alleging that the defendant wrongfully *544entered upon and took possession of his lot, and continued in such wrongful use and occupation for the period named. He treats the defendant as a trespasser, and yet claims to recover for ‘ythe wrongful use and occupation of the premises mentioned. He cannot recover for the trespass, because it was committed in another state (Watts' Adm'rs v. Kinney, 23 Wend. 484); or for the use and occupation, because he disclaims any agreement upon which such an action could be based. The defendant is therefore entitled to judgment, but the plaintiff has liberty to amend in ten days, on payment of costs.

¶3Ordered accordingly.

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