Ritchmyer v. Morss

The plaintiff claims in this action to recover the value of a certain building located "upon the lands of the defendants, which, he claims as owner, and which was taken possession of and removed by defendants. The building was erected by one Yroman in the fall of 1849, at which time the land upon which it was erected was owned by Alonzo 0. Paige and others. It was a good frame building, as described by the plaintiff, fifteen by sixteen feet, ten feet posts, nicely inclosed with pine siding, pine shingles, a good cornice on one end, painted white, with two coats; one door outside and one inside; two windows, one in the front end and one in the side, and a window in the back end; there was a partition in it lathed and plastered, counter and shelves in the front part of the building. ■ The building stood on a foundation of loose stones, with a back chimney in it. The plaintiff purchased it on the 21st of November, 1859, having previously occupied, it for six years. The defendants removed it in December, 1860. The plaintiff testified he did not know by whose authority the shop was •built there; did not know for whose benefit Yroman built it; he did not know that Yroman occupied as tenant of any body when he erected the building.

The defendants then proved that on the 16th day of June, 1860, they entered into a written contract with Paigé and Potter, then the owners of the land upon which said building was located, and agreed to pay therefor the sum of $2,500, on the execution of a good and sufficient deed therefor, and that the defendants took possession of said land under said

The judge charged the jury that as matter of law the plaintiff was entitled to recover, to which charge the counsel for the defendants then and there duly excepted. The judge further charged that the only question for the jury to consider was the question of damages, and to this the defendants also excepted.

I think the learned judge at the circuit was in error in holding as a matter of law that upon this testimony the plaintiff was entitled to recover. That testimony showed, in brief, that the plaintiff had become the purchaser of a building erected upon land owned by the defendants, and that the defendants had taken possession of the building and removed it, as they clearly had a right to do if .it was attached to the freehold and passed under the contract and conveyance to them. That it did so pass is established- by authority. (Mott v. Palmer, 1 N. Y. 564 .). In that case Judge Bromboit said: “ The word “ land ” includes not only the soil but every thing attached to it, whether attached by the course of nature, as trees, herbage and water, or by the hand of man, as buildings and fences. This is but common learning, and there is no more room for question that a grant of land, eo nomine, will carry buildings and fences than there is that it will carry'growing trees and herbage upon or mines and quarries in the ground.”

The cases relied upon to take this case out of this well recognized and firmly established rule of law, do not apply to the facts as proven on the trial of this action. In the first place, it was not established that this building was erected upon any agreement between Yroman and the then owners of the fee of the land that it was to be considered strictly a

The rule to be gathered from the cases is then stated thus by Judge G-eoveb : “ That the tenant may remove dining his term all erections made by him for the purpose of trade that can be removed without injury to the land or something attached thereto.” But in the case at bar no tenant sought to exercise any such right during his term. There is an utter failure to establish the first foundation for invoking the aid of such a principle, viz.: that the relation of tenant at any time existed. When that fact was proven, it then would have become needful to show that the building in question was erected by the tenant for the purposes of trade or his business, and that he exercised his right of removal during his term.

If the building in question is to be deemed to have been a part of the realty, the plaintiff was not entitled to recover for its appropriation by the defendants.

It is undisputed that Vroman, who built it, was not the owner of the land on which it was built, either in fee or as tenant for life or years; nor is there any evidence tending to show that he built it, pursuant to any agreement or understanding whatever with the owner of the land. So far as appears, he was a trespasser in erecting it upon the land where it was placed.

Under this state of facts there can be no doubt that it became, when erected, a part' of the land on which it was erected, and thenceforth real and not personal estate. (Smith v. Benson, 1 Hill, 178 ; Miller v. Plumb, 6 Cow. 665 ; Ford v. Cobb, 20 N. Y. 344 ; Murdoch v. Gifford, 18 id. 28; Snedeker v. Warring, 2 Kern. 170; Ombony v. Jones, 19 N. Y. 234 .) It was sufficiently fixed to the freehold. (Smith v. Benson, supra; Goodrich v. Jones, 2 Hill, 142 ; Bishop v. Bishop, 11 N. Y. 123 ; Mott v. Palmer, 1 Comst. 564.)

There can be no doubt that as between vendor and vendee, it would be held to be real estate, and pass by the deed of the land. The same rule must apply as between these parties.

yothing occurred after the erection that changed the property from real to personal. All that the plaintiff swears to in reference to his interview with defendant Keed, comes far short of producing such effect. It may be said that it shows an admission that plaintiff was entitled to pay for the building. If any admission is shown, it is not that plaintiff was entitled to pay from defendants, but from their grantors,

I am unable to see any legal ground on which the plaintiff is entitled to recover, and am of the opinion that the judgment appealed from should be reversed and a new trial ordered.

All the judges concurring, except Portee, J.,

Judgment reversed, and new .trial ordered.