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26 Mo. 216

Reed v. Bell

Supreme Court of Missouri

Decided January 15, 1858

Supreme Court of Missouri · decided 1858-01-15

This was an action of forcible detainer. Plaintiff stated in her complaint that on the first day of March, 1856, she was entitled to the possession of a certain tract of land [describing it] “ and the house and appurtenances thereto belonging; and that Andrew K. Bell and James Bell wrongfully and without force, by entering into and upon said premises then held by complainant’s tenant, obtained, and continue in, possession of said premises after demand,” &c. The cause was…

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently February 1901

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1858-01-15

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Richardson, Judge,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2The third section of the first article of the act concerning forcible entry and detainer declares, that any person shall be deemed guilty of an unlawful detainer who shall either “ wil-fully and without force hold over any lands, tenements or other possessions after the termination of the time for which they were demised or let to him or the person under whom he claims,” or wrongfully and without force by disseisin obtain and continue in possession of any lands, &c, after demand made in writing for the deliverance of the possession thereof.

¶3It is manifest that the plaintiff intended to proceed under the first clause of this section, and her counsel has assumed in his argument that the defendants came into possession under Evans, who was the plaintiff’s tenant, and held over without the plaintiff’s consent after the termination of the time for which the premises were let to Evans. On this hypothesis the judgment ought to stand ; but there is no evidence that Evan’s term had expired. To maintain the action of unlawful detainer, the plaintiff must be entitled to the possession, and he can not recover for an intrusion on the possession of his tenant. The evidence proved that the defendants came into possession at the invitation and with the consent of the plaintiff’s tenant, and they were not then guilty under the second clause of the section. The instruction asked by the defendants ought to have been given.

¶4The other judges concurring, the judgment will be reversed and the cause remanded.

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