Case Name: Thomas Tredwell against Reuben Steele
Court: New York Supreme Court of Judicature
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1805-08
Citations: 3 Cai. 169
Docket Number: 
Parties: Thomas Tredwell against Reuben Steele.
Judges: 
Reporter: Caines' Reports
Volume: 3
Pages: 169–169

Head Matter:
Thomas Tredwell against Reuben Steele.
ALBANY,
August, 1805.
IN covenant, by which the defendant agreed that “ he w would neither cut, or carry off the premises, or suffer u to be cut and carried off by others, any timber but from M the lands which then were, or should thereafter be clear- “ ed,” the plaintiff laid his breach, that the defendant u did “ cut and cany off the premises, other than such parts of {C the same as the defendant had, or has yet cleared,, divers a large quantities of timber, &c. .and did also suffer divers other persons to cut and cany away off the premises, “ other than such parts as the defendant' had., or yet has M cleared\ divers other, &c.”
Shephard in arrest of judgment, said the covenant did not restrict from cutting wood'on parts then cleared, though by others.
Under a covenant not to cut wood but from lands “ then “ cleared or “ which should “ thereafter be “ cleared,” if the breach be assigned in cutting on lands which the defendant had not cleared, it is bad, as they might have been cleared by others.

Opinion:
Per curiam.
The breach is clearly bad j the fact assigned may be true, and yet the defendant might under the covenant have lawfully taken the timber, as it might have been from land cleared by others.