Case Name: Huey P. Grey and Ann Grey, Appellants, v. Freddie Schmidt and Peggy Schmidt, Appellees
Court: Kansas Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Kansas
Decision Date: 1978-07-21
Citations: 224 Kan. 375
Docket Number: No. 48,729
Parties: Huey P. Grey and Ann Grey, Appellants, v. Freddie Schmidt and Peggy Schmidt, Appellees.
Judges: 
Reporter: Kansas Reports
Volume: 224
Pages: 375–385

Head Matter:
No. 48,729
Huey P. Grey and Ann Grey, Appellants, v. Freddie Schmidt and Peggy Schmidt, Appellees.
(581 P.2d 1180)
Opinion filed July 21, 1978.
Christopher Randall, of Turner, Hensley, and Boisseau, of Wichita, argued the cause and Frederick K. Starrett, of the same firm, of Great Bend, was on the brief for the appellants.
Harold S. Herd, of Coldwater, argued the cause and was on the brief for the appellees.

Opinion:
The opinion of the court was delivered by
McFarland, J.:
This is an appeal from a declaratory judgment determining the rights of the parties in a farm lease.
In 1950 defendants-appellees Schmidt (hereinafter referred to as "tenants") leased farm property from John Monroe. On May 20, 1976, the plaintiffs-appellants Grey (hereinafter referred to as "landlords") purchased the real estate from Monroe. Wheat, a fall seeded grain crop, was growing on a portion of the land. On June 30, 1976, the tenants received a notice to terminate the tenancy from the landlords. The notice was as follows:
"NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF FARM TENANCY FROM YEAR TO YEAR
"TO FREDDIE SCHMIDT and PEGGY SCHMIDT, ROUTE 1, GREENSBURG, KANSAS:
"You and each of you should take notice that your farm tenancy, from year to year of real estate situated in the County of_State of Kansas, to-wit:
The Southeast Quarter (SE/4) of Section Eighteen (18), Township Twenty-nine (29) South, Range Eighteen (18), West of the Sixth Principal Meridian, Kiowa County, Kansas; is terminated as of March 1,1977. However, as to that part of the above-described premises which has been planted to a fall season grain crop on cropland which has been prepared in conformance with normal practices in the area, the termination date as to that portion of the described premises shall take place on or before August 1, 1976.
"Under no circumstances and under no conditions are you to work and seed any portion of the described premises which crops therefrom would mature after March 1, 1977.
"You and each of you are further notified that unless you quit, leave, vacate and surrender your possession of said premises on or before March 1, 1977 and in accordance with this notice, action will be commenced in the proper court to eject you.
"Dated at Pratt, Kansas this 28th day of June, 1976."
The last day of harvest was July 6, 1976.
The landlords concede that the termination notice as to August 1,1976, was improper, but contend the entire tenancy terminated March 1, 1977. The tenants contend their tenancy runs to the day after the harvest in 1977 or August 1,1977, whichever is first. The trial court held in favor of the tenants on August 20,1976, and the landlords appeal. The 1977 crop had not been planted at the time of the trial court's determination and the 1976 crop had been harvested. Accordingly, no fall seeded grain crop was in the ground at the time of trial.
K.S.A. 58-2505, in the form in effect at the time, provides:
"All tenancies from year to year may be terminated by at least thirty days' notice in writing, given to the tenant prior to the expiration of the year."
K.S.A. 58-2506, in the form in effect at the time, provides:
"In cases of tenants occupying and cultivating farms, the notice must fix the termination of the tenancy to take place on the first day of March: Provided, however, That as to that part of the farm which is planted to a fall seeded grain crop on cropland which has been prepared in conformance With normal practices in the area, the notice must fix the termination date of the tenancy to take place on the day following the last day of harvesting such crop or crops, or August 1, whichever comes first: And provided further, That if such tenant becomes a tenant from year to year by occupying the premises after the expiration of the term fixed in a written lease, the notice of termination of tenancy must fix the termination of tenancy to take place on the same day of the same month following the service of the notice as the day and month of termination fixed in the original lease under which said tenant first occupied the premises."
K.S.A. 58-2505 and 58-2506 were subsequently amended by 1978 Kan. Sess. Laws, Chap. 215, § 1 & 2, to provide as follows:
"Section 1. K.S.A. 58-2505 is hereby amended to read as follows: 58-2505. All tenancies from year to year, other than farm tenancies from year to year, may be terminated by at least thirty days' notice in writing, given to the tenant prior to the expiration of the year.
"Section 2. K.S.A. 58-2506 is hereby amended to read as follows: 58-2506. (a) Except as may be otherwise provided by this section or by a written lease signed by the parties thereto, in cases of tenants occupying and cultivating farms the notice to terminate such a farm tenancy must be given in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to the first day of March and must fix the termination of the tenancy to take place on the first day of March.
"(b) When a notice of termination is given pursuant to subsection (a) after a fall seeded grain crop has been planted, as to that part of the farm which is planted to a fall seeded grain crop on cropland which has been prepared in conformance with normal practices in the area, the notice shall be construed as fixing the termination of tenancy of such portion to take place on the day following the last day of harvesting such crop or crops, or August 1, whichever comes first.
"(c) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b), a farm tenant becomes a tenant from year to year by occupying the premises after the expiration of the term fixed in a written lease, in which case the notice of termination of tenancy must fix the termination of tenancy to take place on the same day of the same month following the service of the notice as the day and month of termination fixed in the original lease under which said tenant first occupied the premises. Such notice shall be written and given to the tenant at least thirty (30) days prior to such termination date."
The tenants contend that the land was planted in a fall seeded grain crop at the time the notice was received; that "is planted" means customarily planted; that the notice was received less than thirty days before the last day of harvest; and that the tenancy could not, therefore, terminate prior to the day after the 1977 harvest. The landlords contend that the intent of the statute, as to fall seeded grain crops, was that the March 1 termination date for such crops was not feasible and that a tenant should not lose such growing crops. Therefore, a later termination was fixed. The landlords contend that "is planted" means crops then in the ground, not crops to be planted at a future date. The subsequent amendment to K.S.A. 58-2506 is viewed as clarification of the statute rather than a change.
On June 30, 1976, when the notice was received, the tenants had a wheat crop planted. The last day of harvest of this crop was July 6,1976. Some of the other land was in summer fallow, which was to have been planted in wheat in the fall. So, the answer to the question, is a fall seeded grain crop planted, would have been affirmative if asked on June 30,1976, but negative if asked on July 15,1976 (after the harvest). Tenants did not have greater rights as to tenancy on June 30,1976, than they did two weeks later. Words in common usage are to be given their natural and ordinary meaning in arriving at the proper construction of a statute (Rogers v. Shanahan, 221 Kan. 221, 224, 565 P.2d 1384 [1976]; Roda v. Williams, 195 Kan. 507, 511, 407 P.2d 471 [1965]). In K.S.A. 58-2506 (in effect in 1976) "is planted" means presently planted. We view the 1978 amendment of the language to "after a fall seeded grain crop has been planted" as a clarification rather than a change in its effect.
After the 1976 wheat crop was harvested, there was no land presently planted in a fall seeded grain crop. Therefore, the effective termination date for the entire tract was March 1, 1977. The tenants, after receiving the termination notice, proceeded to prepare and plant another wheat crop. They did so at their own risk. Indeed, the notice expressly prohibited such endeavor.
We hold that the trial court erred in determining that the notice given tenants was ineffective to terminate the tenancy on March 1, 1977, as the tenancy was terminated as of March 1, 1977.
The judgment of the trial court is reversed and judgment is entered for the landlords terminating the tenancy as of March 1, 1977.