Johnson v. Donaldson

Decision Date12 July 1890
Citation20 A. 242,17 R.I. 107
PartiesJOHNSON v. DONALDSON.
CourtRhode Island Supreme Court

Exceptions from court of common pleas, Providence county.

Stephen A. Cooke, Jr., and Louis L. Angell, for plaintiff. Nathan W. Littlefield and Warren Goddard, for defendant.

DURFEE, C. J. This is trespass and ejectment for the recovery of a house and lot in the city of Providence. The action was begun and tried originally in a special court of common pleas, and is before us on exceptions to a ruling by said court. It appears from the bill of exceptions that the plaintiff, being then the legal owner in fee of said house and lot, mortgaged them to the Mechanics' Savings Bank as security for $5,000 lent; that he afterwards sold and conveyed them to the defendant subject to the mortgage; and that subsequently, the condition of the mortgage being broken, the bank sold and conveyed them to the plaintiff under a power of sale in the mortgage. After the sale the bank notified the defendant in writing that the sale had taken place, and that the plaintiff desired possession; but, the defendant continuing to hold possession, the plaintiff commenced this suit, without any further notice to quit. The defendant in the court below contended that he was entitled to notice to quit before suit, and that the notice from the bank was not such notice. The court ruled that he was not so entitled, and gave judgment for the plaintiff.

The defendant contends that, after sale by the bank, he was a tenant at sufferance, entitled to notice to quit, under Pub. St. E. I. c. 232, § 1, as follows, to-wit: "Tenants of land or tenements at will or by sufferance shall quit upon notice in writing from the lessor or owners at the day named therein." Under this section the defendant was entitled to notice as there prescribed, if he was tenant by sufferance. It was not necessary that the premises should have been let to him. To hold so would be to add a qualification which there is nothing to warrant. "A tenant by sufferance is one that comes into the possession of land by lawful title, but holdeth over by wrong after the determination of his interest:" provided, however, that he does not come in by act of law; for if he comes in by act of law, and then holds over, he is regarded as an intruder, abator, or trespasser. 4 Kent, Comm. 116, 117. The defendant is clearly within this definition, and not within the exception; for he came in as grantee of the equity of redemption by deed from the mortgagor, who is the plaintiff himself. In Kinsley v. Ames, 2 Metc. 29, it was held that a mortgagor in possession after sale in pursuance of a power in the mortgage is a tenant by sufferance. It seems to us that it follows that a mortgagor's grantee of the equity of redemption in possession is likewise a tenant by sufferance, if as...

To continue reading

Request your trial
11 cases
  • Deutsche Bank Nat'l Trust Co. v. Monegro
    • United States
    • Rhode Island Superior Court
    • January 24, 2013
    ...a foreclosure sale is a tenant at sufferance. Hebden v. Antonian, 518 A.2d 1362, 1362 (R.I. 1986) (citing Johnson v. Donaldson, 17 R.I. 107, 108, 20 A. 242, 243 (1890)); see also Regan v. Rogers, 68 R.I. 319, 323, 27 A.2d 302, 304 (1942). Hence, Monegro became a tenant at sufferance followi......
  • Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Monegro
    • United States
    • Rhode Island Superior Court
    • January 24, 2013
    ... ... see also Dolan v. Hughes, 20 R.I. 513, 40 A. 344 ... (1898) (citing Johnson v. Thayer, 17 Me. 401, 403 ... (1840)) (the presumption in favor of a valid recorded ... assignment may be rebutted only by proof that ... Hebden v. Antonian, 518 A.2d 1362, 1362 (R.I. 1986) ... (citing Johnson v. Donaldson, 17 R.I. 107, 108, 20 ... A. 242, 243 (1890)); see also Regan v. Rogers, 68 ... R.I. 319, 323, 27 A.2d 302, 304 (1942). Hence, Monegro ... ...
  • Regan v. Rogers
    • United States
    • Rhode Island Supreme Court
    • July 28, 1942
    ...after such sale, a tenant by sufferance and under our statute entitled to a notice to quit before being sued in trespass and ejectment. At page 109 of its opinion in 17 R.I., at page 243 of 20 A. the court uses the following language: "It appears to be the policy of our statute to secure to......
  • State v. Scott
    • United States
    • Wyoming Supreme Court
    • January 12, 1926
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT