The evening times., 1897-12-21
MANY LEASES MAY Be VOID
Judge Bundy's Decision in the
Aay.Adams Case.
General and specific Law Prohibits
Renting of Premises for I'M
moral Purposes.

The decision handed down yesterday by
Justice of the Peace Bundy in the case of
4ertie May against Annie Adams, propris
treskes of houses in the Division, will, IL
sustained 10y the District court OF appeals
revOlutionize the real estate business in that
section OF the city and affect validity II
lease contracts.
Annie Adams, who lives at No. l 306
d street, subrents from Berthe May, OF No.
1904 D street, who is herself only Il tenant.
The suit was brought for the payment 1t
rent, and the defense was put up that the
lease was void, beca USE the premises were
kno wingly let for immoral purposes.
A After hearing the testimony Judge Bundy
rendered verdict in favor OF the def md
ant, thereby compelling the landlord to give
the tenant thirty days notice to sacate.
Justice Bundy based his Judgment on the
law as laid down In the American a nj Eng
Iish Encyclopedia of Law, which is as
follows:
.'Since the promotion of public and
private virtue Is one of the CHIEF purposes
of the law, no countenance can be given
to agreements which would defeat that
end under lega, for ms. Ii the object of the
agreement be to induce immortality no
technical nicely in the Instrument, 10 stipu-
Iation of n:oneyed consideration, no )b-
servanCe of Tie usual essentials OF a cuii-
tract car give II validity. Such agree
ments are wholly void. strictly speaking,
they are not contracts, but conspiracies for
wrongdoing which are not enforclbie
since the law canno5 be evoked to defeat
itself. Whatever tends to the violation OF
II statute, or whatever is against good
morals, when made the object OF a con
tract, Is against public policy, and tn re
fore void and not susceptible OF enforce
ment
IA form of contract may be legal on its
face; there may be parties competent,
willing and agreed upon the subject matter,
who enter into an agreement to do ur not
to do a thing, with seemingly fair ron
sideration stipulated, yet their agreement
is null and void il their object is against
good morals and public policy
The attorneys Tor the defendant, Ad-
ans, and the owner OF the property ale
confident that this decision will not be
sustained ty superior court. is also
the testimony, more of which went TO
show that the house Of the Adams woman
was kept for immoral purposes
The strength OF the judgment, i, is ptaced
10y real estate agents, will In a great meas
ire DEPEND on the form OF the lease. The
form Of lease used in the District stipn
lates that 10 house shall be leased ror
any disorderly or unlawful purpcse."
This would vitiate the lease IF every house
in the Division, il enforced. There is an
other phase of the matter which, IL per
missible under the District laws, would
upset the wole intent OF the original
contract. II is, as was stated this mor1in.
by a prominent real estate dealer. that
generally the words ''for any disorderly CT
unlawful purpose" are stricken out II oil
leases.
II the lease under which the Adams
woman rents has been so revised in his
particular IT would no doubt materially
effect the Judgment rendered in the case.