New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
MANY LEASES ARE BROKEN.
THEY OFTEN CAUSE TROUBLE TO BOTH
LANDLORDS AND TENANTS.

The lot of many persons who hold leases to
property in this city is not a happy one and the
lives OF the owners who have given these leases
ere equally unpleasant judging from the com
plants Of landlord and tenant which fire.
ouently heard in the magistrates and other
courts and the doleful tales about troubles over
leases which are frequently told in the real es-
tate auction rooms
THE public thinks that many real estate agents
and operators are beasts and that they have no
regard for their word" said a we'll known real
estate dealer to a Tribune reporter yesterday
'If the public was kept constantly Informed Of
the schemes carried out annoy and to cause
the agents and dealers financial loss, the pub
lies estimation of realty might be consid-
erably different There are one thousand ten
ants who break their leases to every realty man
who is guilty of the same offence. Such tenants.
at least the majority of them persons with
out stability Of character and without money.
''The realty man who has suffered by their
arti7ces in many ways quickly comes to the
conclusion that to such persons for break
ing their leases would not benefit him financially
and would do the public good. He tries to
forget about the treatment that he has received
from INSCRIPTIONS tenants and hopes that he
may get good tenants in the future. But IL a
tenant thinks that the provisions Of lease that
he holds has been broken he usually hastens to
consult lawyer to take steps to obtain dam
ages The court records will show think, that
the complaints made by tenants against owners
are greater than those made by owners against
tenants for alleged violation Of agreements.
The number OF these cases and the publicity
given to them have led many persons TO think
that many realty men devoid Of conscience.
Owing to the Troubles recently arising over
the efforts of some real estate owners to get
possession OF certain leases to their property to
further building plans for other purposes.
the question to whether leases to property in
this city binding has lately been discussed
by many persons. The courts have decided
many vexatious phases Of this absorbing sub
3ect All parties 10 a lease gre bound to carry
out the provisions OF the lease Just strictly
as IL II was a contract for the sale or purchase
Of property.
"No owner has the right to demand or to force
the surrender Of the occupancy of any part of a
building which is leased 10 swell his own purse.
The owner only demand or bring about the
surrender OF a lease in legal manner by applf-
ca.ion TO the courts when the lessee or the SUBJ
lessee is public nuisance or is guilty of con-
Quoting a fraudulent business or has failed to
meet any provision of the agreement through no
fault Of the owner OF the premises.
'In some leases IL is expressed that the lessee
must IN person inform the owner to renew
ais, repairs. etc. II the owner remains In hiding
that the lessee cannot find him TO tell him
about renewals repairs the cannot
later begin legal action to oust the lessee from
the premises with any fair prospect of winning
his point. Under the conditions, the lessee was
not at fault, he could not find the owner.
These kinds OF leases in many cases called
leases with handle, for a tenant with such a
lease usually has a wearisome time In trying TO
learn the whereabouts of the owner Il the latter
is an INSCRIPTIONS person
Should he be such person, the lessee may not
be able to see him when the time draws near to
renew the lease AT this time the owner may
be planning TO tear down the building and erect
new one In its place. He knows that If he tells
his plans to his tenants many of them will re-
move, and, on the other hand. If he refuses 10
grant renewals or the leases all the tenants are
likely TO find places elsewhere at short notice
particularly IL the building is used for mercan-
tile purposes
BY keeping out OF the way of his tenants the
owner is well aware that the tenants are more
likely TO remain than II he told them his plans.
When ne mas perfected his plans he suddenly
appears and tells his tenants that they will have
10 remove as soon possible Had he told his
p,ans 70 them earlier his building would prob
aply nave been unoccupsed for time, and
he would therefore have suffered a large finan-
ciai loss Sometimes the tenants sue for dam
bees and the courts have decided in the cases
OF this kind that can recall that the tenants
had the legal right 10 remain another year i'm
possession OF their Offices, because they had done
an ia tner power 70 comply with the provisions
OF the contract
Many leases. of course, are written and a
large NUMBER or them recorded. The ma
tority of leases however are verbal and they
are just as binding the written ones In
nearly every case where tenant has simply
given ms WORD that he would remain wear and
has paid his rent each month IN advance the
courts have considered him TO be a yearly ten
ant. Should he begin a second wear on the
premises without having had q talk with the
owner 10 the time he intends to stay and ne
- sscsiysd no notice that he must give up his