Lang v. Everling

The premises of which appellant sought to recover possession by means of the summary proceedings which were instituted by him, are part of the estate of which Jules Weil died seized. lie left a last will and testament, which was duly admitted to probate by the surrogate for the county of New York, and provided as follows: “ 2d. I give, devise and bequeath unto my beloved wife, Jeanette Weil, all my estate, real and personal and mixed, and of every name

Some time after the testator’s death, Michael Lang, the appellant, obtained a lien pursuant to the provisions of the Mechanics’ Lien Law, (Laws of 1885, chap. 342) upon the widow’s interest in the real property devised to her, for services performed and materials furnished in and about certain improvements and repairs. This lien was appropriately foreclosed by action in this court and the widow’s interest decreed to be sold. At the sale Lang became the purchaser, and by the referee’s deed, which is dated December 13, 1892, her interest was conveyed to him.

Thereupon, Lang demanded payment of the month’s rent which became due and payable in advance on the 1st day of February, 1893, from John Everling, who was conceded to be the tenant and lessee in possession under a lease from the widow, and upon his refusal to pay, proceedings to dispossess him were instituted by Lang on the ground that he continued in possession after default in the payment of rent without the landlord’s permission. Code Civ. Proc. § 2231, subd. 2. On

Could we agree to the trial justice’s construction of the will of Jules Weil, the judgment appealed from would require our affirmance A trust estate is inalienable by express provision of law when the trust is expressed in the instrument which creates the estate. 3 R. S. 2183, § 65, Banks & Bros. 7th ed. Powers v. Bergen, 6 N. Y. 360 ; Leonard v. Burr, 18 id. 107; Briggs v. Davis, 20 id. 21; Fitzgerald v. Topping, 48 id. 444; Douglass v. Cruger, 80 id. 15. Neither a creditor of the trustee personally nor of him in his representative-capacity can acquire by means of the assertion of a lien any rights respecting the trust estate which the trustee did not h^ve, and it follows that if the widow, as devisee of Jules Weil, obtained only a life estate in trust for the testator’s children, that a pretended lien and a sale in proceedings to foreclose it are*inefíectual to transfer the estate to the purchaser.

But we are of the opinion that the will devised a life estate to the widow, charged only with the maintenance and education of the testator’s children, which was determinable upon her remarriage, and that after providing for the maintenance and support of the children, the remainder of the rents, issues and profits inured to the benefit of the devisee of the life estate. That such was the testator’s intention we think clearly appears from the language of the will; but if there is any ambiguity therein it is dispelled by the fact that the widow is required to elect between her right of dower and acceptance of the devise and bequest to her. Such an election may be imposed only when the testamentary provisions confer some benefit to

A “ charge ” upon land by will is distinguished from a “ trust ” of the land, in that in the case of the former, the land is devised generally for the beneficial enjoyment of the devisee, subject, however, to the payment by him of a specific sum, or specific sums of money, or the performance of a particular duty, while in the case of a “ trust,” the devise is limited to Some particular purpose, with no beneficial interest in the devisee. 13 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 109, note; King v. Denison, 1 V. & B. (Eng.) 260, 272; Wood v. Cox, 2 Myl. & Cr. (Eng.) 684; Tregonwell v. Sydenham, 3 Dowl. (Eng.) 194,210. It will be observed that the will under consideration devises to the testator’s widow the income of all his estate generally, with no directions respecting its application, except that out of it she is to maintain and educate his children. This, under the definitions given above, excludes a “ trust ” and implies a “ charge.” See, also, Dill v. Wisner, 88 N. Y. 154 .

The life estate devised to the widow was capable of alienation by her in the absence of a condition restraining it, subject, of course, to the charge imposed thereon by the terms of the will. 16 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, 881; Jackson v. Van Hoesen, 4 Cow. 325 . She was an “owner” within the Hechanics’ Lien Law (Laws of 1885, chap. 342), upon whose interest a valid lien could be obtained for services performed and materials furnished in erecting, altering or repairing any house, etc., with his consent, to the extent of such owner’s interest, whether it be that of a fee or of a less estate, and upon the foreclosure of the lien the widow’s life estate, subject to the “ charge,” was effectually transferred from her to the purchaser at the foreclosure sale.

The conveyance of the widow’s estate to Lang, as purchaser at the foreclosure sale, was without any reservation respecting rent, and he, therefore, became entitled, as owner of the lessor’s reversion, to all future accruing rent. Demarest v.

Neither can it be successfully disputed that the grantee of the lessor’s reversionary estate, whether he became such by voluntary conveyance or judicial sale, is entitled to maintain proceedings to recover possession of the premises, upon the tenant’s or lessee’s default in the payment of rent, under the provisions of sections 2231 et seq. of the Code of Civil Procedure. ' The term “ landlord,” as used in section 2231, is not restricted to designate the lessor only, but includes the grantee of the latter’s estate. That this is so appears from subdivision 2 of the section last referred to, by which it is required that a previous demand of payment of the rent shall be made, not in behalf of the lessor, but “ in behalf of the person entitled ” thereto, and from section 2235, which prescribes that application for the removal of the tenant may be made by the landlord or lessor, or by the legal representative, agent or assignee of the landlord.

Our conclusion from the foregoing is, that the trial justice erred in dismissing the proceedings, and that the judgment appealed from should be reversed and a new trial ordered, with costs to the prevailing party to abide the event.

Judgment reversed and new trial ordered, with costs to the prevailing party to abide the event.

Bookstaver, J., concurs.

• Judgment reversed, new trial ordered, costs to abide event.