p. 3952d and 3d, for he charged in substance, amongst other things, that the main question was whether the defendant was the tenant of the plaintiff of the Gainer farm, from April 1,1844, to April 1, 1845. 2. That if he was such tenant the next question was whether he held over his term without permission of Binninger. On the first question he charged that if the proof made out the tenancy, which he intimated it did, the defendant was estopped from disputing the title of his landlord, by showing title in Edward Gainer, and was bound to yield up the possession to his landlord, and could not attorn to Edward Gainer or any third person. The jury found a verdict for the landlord; and the judge issued his warrant to the sheriff requiring him to remove all persons from the premises in question, and to put the said Isaac Binninger into the full possession thereof.
Jas. Gibson, for the plaintiff in error.
I. The motion made by the defendant below, on the return of the summons, to quash the proceedings, should have been granted, because, (1.) The “ application” was not “ on oath of the facts,” within the meaning of the statute. (2 R. S. 513, § 29.) It is merely an application stating his grounds for the proceedings. It is neither signed by him nor verified as required by the statute. (2.) There is no “ oath in writing of the facts” as required by section 29. The only oath made is that the “ application is true”- — - now the application is to remove the tenant, and probably is true, but is not what the statute requires. {Hill v. Stocking, 6 Hill, 314 .) These summary proceedings being in derogation of the common law, are open to technical objections, and the officer must show a strict compliance with the statute at every step. (Farrington v. Morgan, 20 - Wend. 207.) But admitting there were a legal “ oath of the facts,” still it is claimed that the facts stated are not enough to sustain these proceedings. It is Only alleged in the application, by way of recital, that Buck is a tenant at all ;■ and it is no where alleged that he is tenant to the applicant. But even if positively stated in the application, the affidavit annexed is not so drawn as to verify those facts, but only verifies the truth of the application.
p. 398had constructive and
actual notice of it: and the defendant offered to show that he purchased subject to that lease. Thus the plaintiff was liable to Edward Gainer, the former being as-signee of the lessor, for the quiet possession of the premises. Edward Gainer’s interest was not affected by his lessor’s giving a deed.
(Rickert v.
Snyder, 9 Wend. 416 .) The covenant of quiet enjoyment in the lease ran with the land.
(Lametti v. Anderson, 6
Cowen, 308,
per Savage, Ch. J. See also Norman v. Wells, 17 Wend. 136 ;
'also at page 159,
where Cowen, J., cites Gray v.
Cuthberson, 2
Chitty, 482.-
See also 17
Wend. 149 .) That this covenant runs with the land, see
Hunt v.
Amidon, ( 4
Hill, 345 .)
Again, the plaintiff is estopped, being a privy of the lessor, from committing a breach of this covenant by these summary proceedings. (Jackson v. Waldron, 13 Wend. 187 , per Ch¿ Jackson v. Bull, 1 John. Cas. 90. Jackson v. Stevens, 16 John.' Hep. 110. McCracken v. Wright, 14 Id. 193 . 1 Salic. 276. 4 Peters, 1. Co. Lit. 47. Dyer, 256. Plow. 344.)
The proceedings were irregular and oppressive, and without-jurisdiction, and should be reversed.
Justice Bronson, in
Hill v.
Stocking, ( 6
Hill, 318 ,) says: “ These summary proceedings must be carefully watched, or they will be turned into the means of working injustice and oppression.” In answer to the grounds of defence and the authorities cited to support them, it is insisted that the new doctrine of the supreme court refusing to examine these summary proceedings on the merits, has been repudiated in the court of errors.
(Anderson v.
Prindle, 23
Wend. 616 .
Niblo v.
Post’s Adm’rs, 25
Id. 280.) In regard to
Jackson v.
Brownell, ( 1
John.Rep. 267 ,) cited by the plaintiff, it is sufficient to say, that it has been distinctly overruled by
Caswell v.
Dietrich, (
15 Wend. 379 ;) and
Putnam v.
Wise, ( 1
Hill, 234 .) The proceedings-should be reversed, and restitution awarded, with costs.
C. L. Allen, for the defendant in error.
The writ of certio-rari, when issued for the purpose of enabling this court to exercise its supervisory power over inferior tribunals, removes nothing
p. 400in the statement of the plaintiff’s case. A special demurrer, is not applicable, but he must at least present by his affidavit such facts as will enable us to infer argumentatively, and upon just rules of construction, a substantial case.” The subsequent proceedings were all regular; and no error appearing, upon the record the proceedings should be affirmed. But if the court looks beyond the record the case is clearly with the. landlord.
The first statute which authorized summary proceedings, on the part of the landlord, to remove his tenant for non-payment of rent, or for holding over after the expiration of his tenancy, without the consent of his landlord, was passed April 13, 1820. (Laws of 1820, p. 176.) That statute made no provision for reviewing the proceedings by this court; thus leaving this court with no other than its common law powers, of re-examining the process and proceedings before the magistrate by the cosnmon law certiorari. In Lynde v. Noble, ( 20 John. 80 ,) the supreme court held that such certiorari would not lie until the case had been finally tried, and judgment given thereon, and that then it would not suspend the writ of restitution or possession. And in Nichols v. Willimns, (8 Cowen, 13,) it was held that the certiorari never brings up the testimony given before the tribunal to which it is directed, except when it goes to a justice’s court. Its office is merely to remove the record, of which the testimony is no part. It was held, also, in that case, that the judge had no power of adjournment in such cases. The power to require the return of the testimony, &c. by a justice to a certioravi, was given by statute, and the proceedings under it are familiar to the profession.
The revised statutes (vol. 2, p. 511) made essential alterations in the act relative to summary proceedings to recover the possession of lands, among which are the power to compel the attendance of witnesses before the. judge, and the adjournment of the proceedings on the application of either party, and the awarding of costs to the prevailing party on certiorari. But the most important change is. that embraced in the 47th sec
p. 401tion, page 516, in which it is enacted that “ the supreme court may award a certiorari for the purpose of examining any adjudication made on any application hereby authorized.” It is true the supreme court, in Birdsall v. Philips, ( 17 Wend. 464 ,) and Prindle v. Anderson, (19 Id. 391,) held that on a return to a common law certiorari, no other questions can be raised than those relating to the jurisdiction of the officer, or court, before whom the proceedings are had, and to the regularity of such proceedings. Those two cases arose under the statute in question, but it does not appear that the attention of the learned judge by whom the opinion was pronounced, had been directed to the change of phraseology in the acts. That the doctrine was laid down correctly with respect to the office of a common law certiorari, is abundantly- shown by the cases cited by the learned, judge, and the various other cases which have been cited on the present argument. But the case of Prindle v. Anderson, (supra,) was carried to the court of errors in 1840, and reversed. ( 23 Wend. 616 .) The chancellor, who delivered the judgment of that court, puts the reversal upon the ground that by the 47th section the power of this court is necessarily enlarged, under the certiorari provided for reviewing the summary proceedings between landlord and tenant. And he considered it evident that the legislature did not intend, in these cases, to limit the powers of the court, as in the case of a certiorari at common law, to the mere questions of jurisdiction of the inferior tribunal, and the regularity of its proceedings; but that, on the contrary, they intended to give the supreme court full and competent power to examine, upon the merits, every decision of the judge a quo upon a question of law, and to affirm, reverse, or quash the proceedings, as justice should require; and also to award costs to the prevailing party, which they are not authorized to do upon a mere common law cer-tiorari. The doctrine of this case was again affirmed by the court of errors in the subsequent case of Niblo v. Post’s adm’rs, ( 25 Wend. 280 .) We have therefore a right, on the return to this certiorari, to look into the return, and to decide the case upon its merits.
p. 402Without examining the various points that were raised on the hearing before the judge, there is one that was fatal to the application of the landlord. It appears by the testimony that he was merely the owner of the reversion expectant on the termination of the estate of Edward Gainer, the tenant for life, who was in the actual possession. Binninger was not entitled to the possession of the premises in question, until after the death of Edward Gainer. He had no right to let the place to Jehiel Buck, the defendant. He was not in possession, and was bound by Buck’s covenant in the lease to Edward Gainer, for the quiet enjoyment of the latter during life. The judge, on the finding of the jury that Jehiel Buck was the tenant of Bin-ninger, holding over after the expiration of his term, issued his warrant requiring the sheriff “ to remove all persons from the premises, and to put Binninger into the full possession thereof.” Edward Gainer was then in possession under his life lease, and was liable to be put out; and Binninger, who was not entitled to the possession, under his deed, until the termination of the life estate of Edward Gainer, was required to be put in possession. If this recovery can be upheld, I see nothing to prevent two strangers, without color of title, from obtaining, by collusion with each other, the possession of any man’s farm.
The doctrine on which the judge seems to have relied, that a tenant cannot dispute the title of his landlord, and attorn to a stranger, was inapplicable to this case. There was a question behind it, namely, whether the landlord bad any right to the possession of the premises at all. That right was put in issue by the defendant’s affidavit. Binninger could not have maintained an ejectment against the defendant, during the continuance of the outstanding life estate of Edward Gainer. (2 R. S. 303, § 3. Adams' Ejectment, 29.) Much less should he be permitted to recover in this summary proceeding, which is a substitute for an ejectment. (See Gillet v. Stanley, 1 Hill, 121 , and Grout v. Townsend, 2 Id. 554.) These cases show that an outstanding estate for life, in a third person, will defeat an ejectment by the owner of the reversion, without showing
p. 403any connection between the tenant for life and the defendant.
(Adair v.
Lott, 3
Hill, 182 ,
S. P.)Binninger never was in possession of the premises at all. At the time of his purchase of the reversion in January, 1843, Loring Hastings occupied the premises under a contract with John Gainer, and took care of Edward Gainer, the old gentleman, who lived on the place. It was a part of his contract that he should take care of the old gentleman. It is fairly to be inferred from the return that this life estate to Edward Gainer and wife was granted by their son John Gainer, for their support. Up to the time of these proceedings they were supported there. It seems from the verbal agreement proved between the defendant and Binninger, in the spring of 1844, that the defendant was to indemnify the plaintiff against the expense of supporting the old gentleman. He was therefore probably as much the tenant of Edward Gainer as of the plaintiff, according to the plaintiff’s own showing.
Again, the covenant for quiet enjoyment in the lease from John Gainer to Edward Gainer, was a covenant running with the land. (Spencer’s case, 5 Rep. 16. 17 Wend. 147 , 159, per Cowen, J. 2 Chitty, 482. Hunt v. Amidon, 4 Hill, 345 .) The plaintiff, under his deed from John Gainer and wife, succeeded to the rights and liabilities of John Gainer, and was consequently bound to guarantee to Edward Gainer the quiet enjoyment of the premises. He ought not to be permitted to do by the forms of law that which by contract he is bound not to do. The effect of his recovery in these proceedings against Buck, is to remove Edward Gainer from the possession of the premises in which he has a life estate. Being thus removed from the possession, the latter could maintain an action against Binninger on the covenant for quiet enjoyment, and an ejectment to regain the possession. The law, to avoid circuity of actions, will prevent Binninger from maintaining the proceedings.
I have omitted to discuss the objection to the form of the petition, arising from the omission to state that Binninger was the owner of tire premises, or entitled to the possession thereof, at the time of his demise to Buck: The petition of Binninger
p. 404may be true, and he not be entitled to the possession. The application neither states that Binninger let the premises to the defendant, nor that the defendant was his tenant; except by implication. He does not state that he was the landlord of the defendant with respect to these premises.
I am satisfied the proceedings are erroneous, and that' they should be reversed with costs.
concurred in that part of the above opinion which decides that the affidavit on which the proceedings before Judge Howe were had, was insufficient, to uphold the proceedings. On the other questions they gave no opinion.
Proceedings reversed.