The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-26
HEIRS TO NINETY-NINE CENTS.
Baltimore American.

There are just now some curious com
plieations arising between holders of real
estate on Fells Point, which involve prop
erty of considerable value, and some nice
points of real estate law. The following
advertisement appeared in yesterdays
papers:
WANTED-THE HEIRS OF JOHN HALL
w who leased tract of land in Monterrey Neck
(now Baltimore city to Benjamin Spencer, for the
of ninty nne years, renewable forever, at one
ed by said Benjamin Spencer to David Whitaker,
and is now owned by Nancy G. Young The heirs
and renew the lease of said ground NANCY c.
YOUNG, No. Asquith street.
About one hundred years ago commerce
al, and in fact fashionable, Baltimore clus
tered around in Fell's Point. West of
Jones' Falls was considered out in the
country, and the place where
the Eutaw house stands was
wheat field. About that time land
which was most valuable lay south of Bal
timore street and east of Broadway.
Monteneys Neck referred to in the adver-
tisement, was neck of land that extended
south from Cough street, and included
Caroline, Bond, and Eden streets as far
south as Canton avenue, where it tapered
off. Many people from England and Ire
land and Germany emigrated to Baltimore
with the sole purpose of making some
money and returning to the old country.
| Under the laws at that time no person not
| a naturalized citizen of the United States
could hold real esta G. This gave rise to
| system of leaseholding which made the
title of the holder good for ninety nine
| years, at one cent ground rent. 1t was a
| mere nominal transaction, which converted
real estate into personal property, SO that
a foreigner could pay the full price of land
IxTIli Io cd 70 t41ry Init had oa
drawn up in Ieasehold form, making it for
long term, renewable forever, and with a
nominal ground rent of one cent per an
mum. Also, when husband wanted to
| buy piece of land in which he did not
wish his wife to hold dover interest, to
which she was entitled by law, the transfer
was effected on these conditions and it be-
came his personal property. 1t is, there
! fore the case that much of the land on
| Fell's Point, and particularly around the
| spot which was once the heart OF Balti-
more, is held on these terms by the heirs Of
the original holders of such leases. And
now, as the ninety years nominated
| in the bond are about running out, COM
plications are arising which involve some
| valuable real estate. The property of Mrs.
| Nancy Young was leased in 1852 BY Benja-
min Spencer from John Hall, and was after
ward assigned by Mr.. Spencer to Daniel
| Whitaker. The property, as it came into
the hands of Mrs. Young, consists of six
| lots, near the corner of Hammond alley
and Eastern avenue. On July "a, her lease,
or the original lease, runs out, and she is
now seeking some of the heirs of the Hall
family for renewal. Mr.. Hall was first
cousin of Mr. Spencer, both being builders.
A considerable portion of the land left di-
rectly by Mr.. Spencer has passed into the
hands of Mr.. William s. Peterkin, who
married MIR. Spencers daughter. At that
time the houses fronting on Canton Avenue
reached nearly to the waters edge. Since
then the city has filed up that part Of the
basin, and the land thus made has been
claimed and recovered by the holders of
/ the ninety nine year lease on lots that went
back to the water Mr., Peterkin has re
| claimed considerable of this, as being a
| portion of the Spencer estate, but as the
/ spencer property was leased on the ninety
/ nine-year plan, and that lease is about to
expire, it remains a question as to whether
Halls heirs, If any exist, can not come for
ward and claim the made land on the plea
that 1t Is not portion of the original
leasehold property. Mr.. Young's lease, if
it is not renewed by the heirs will have to
/ go into court, and trustees viii have to be
/ appointed, who can alone renew such
lease. Now, great MANY people hold
land in this neighborhood, who. not as
well posted as Mrs. Young, are not aware
/ that is leasehold instead of fee simple
and when their leases run out and they
/ do not renew them the hers of the origi-
nal lessor can come forward, and by prov
| ing their title can lawfully claim it. A
case Of this kind is now in the courts ow-
ing to just such an oversight on the part
of the late Mr.. George Freshman. who
sub let some property on Thames street TO
certain parties. and these parties finding
out that Mr. Freshman only had ninety
nine year lease on it, which was already
out. went off, and finding the original
heirs purchased it in fee, so that when
Mr. Freshman came to collect his rent they