The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-07-05
CURIOUS CLAUSES IN LEASES.
Conditions to Which Some French
and English Tenants Submit.

COnCiIICnS TO WHICH ooIIS F'ShS"
and English Tenants Submit.
There was a great TODD in New
York a couple of years ago, when the
owners of several immense houses an
nounced that in future no dogs would
be allowed in any of their buildings.
But drastic as this may seem. says
the London Tit-Bits, it is mild COM
pared with the stringent regulations
drawn up for signature by the pros
pective tenants Of two fine new build
lngs in the Rue de Martyrs, Paris.
In the first place, no tentnt must
keep a. dog, cat, bird or piano.
In the second, no person with children
below the age of Is will be accepted
as tenants. The last clause reads that
if any children are born to the tenant
during their stay in the flats this
fact shall at once-ipso facto, as the
lawyers say-annul the lease.
The ground upon which the Dept
ford Cattle Market now stands was
originally let to the Admiralty. In
the deed a clause was inserted to the
effect that ship should be always on
the stocks, falling which the lana
should revert to it's former owners.
But when the Admiralty gave up the
yard they sold the land to the city cor
poration, who neglectful OF the former
lease. built the present market. Inc
result was that recently an application
was made in the Court OF Common
Council to inspect the corporation
title. We believe, however, that the
matter has been peacefully settled.
The leases of many West End Lon
don houses are very interesting. Amaz-
ing as it may seem, many OF the very
finest shops in New Bond street are
let on lease at a rental of only about
e5 year! Few are over 97 and some
are as low as G4! However, the ten
ant does not get off quite so cheaply
as might appear, for every seven or
IA years-as the case may be-he has
to pay what is called a fine to the
owners. who are the Corporation OF
the City of London.
So long as the tenant continues to
pay the fine regularly his lease is
renewable forever. But if he should
for any reason fail to renew the lease
at the specified time the corporation,
as an act of grace. grants a renewal
for 80 years, at the end OF which time
the property reverts to the corpora
ton. Most of these curious leases
date back to many years ago, when
no one foresaw the enormous increase
what was then a mere suburb of Lon
don.
Some of London's old hotels are held
by curious leases. An ancient hostel
ry in Holborn was recently rebuilt,
and during the building operations a
duly appointed customer entered at a
certain time every day, and visiting
a little wooden shanty in the midst OF
E wilderness of brick and mortar
made purchase of an imperial pint OF
beer This business done, the man in
charge closed the shanty, and 1t was
not opened again until the same time
the following day. The owners OF
the new building were obliged to erect
the hut to carry on the business other
wise they would have lost their IL
cense.
Mention of hotels calls to mind the
peculiar dilemma in which Colonel
John j. Astor found himself on the
completion of the new ST. Regis Hotel
in Fifth avenue, New York. He could
not get license. Under the terms
of all leases granted by the city Of
New York, no liquor license can be
obtained for a hotel or public house