Case Name: HEFFNER v. LEWIS et al.
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1873-05-17
Citations: 1 Foster 169
Docket Number: 
Parties: HEFFNER v. LEWIS et al.
Judges: 
Reporter: Legal Chronicle reports of Cases decided in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (Foster)
Volume: 1
Pages: 169–170

Head Matter:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. EASTERN DISTRICT.
HEFFNER v. LEWIS et al.
A tenant having the right to remove fixtures timing his term, they may be sold on execution and the purchaser thereof may, like the tenant, remove them at any time before, the expiration of the term.
Error to the Common Pleas of Schuylkill county.

Opinion:
Opinion delivered 17 May, 1873, by
Mercur, J.
This action was brought to recover the value of a quantity of iron rails. They had been taken and converted by the defendants. The plaintiff has filed fourteen assignments of error. The first three may be discussed together. The Brittains had leased, for mining purposes, adjoining lands of the plaintiff and of the defendants respectively. They worked veins upon the lands of each. In order to mine some of the coal on defendant's land, it was necessary to cross plaintiff's land, but making , the outlet on defendant's land. They sunk a slope, erected a breaker, built engines, &c., on the land leased from the defendants, and drove a tunnel and gangways upon the land leased of plaintiff. Under authority from the Brittains these rails were laid in track in the tunnel and gangways. Snbsequently all the Brittains' leasehold interest acquired from the defendants, was sold at sheriff's sale, under a mortgage. At the same time the sheriff also sold upon a fi. fa. all the right, title and interest of the Brittains in the lease on the defendants' land, with the appurtenances, consisting inter alia of a breaker, schutes, screens, engines, slope-house, and other buildings and machinery, and " railroads in, about and connected with said mines." At both sheriff's sales the property was purchased by one Repplier, under whom the defendants claim title to the rails. Whether these rails in question were included in the levy and sale was properly submitted to the jury, and the points were correctly answered. The fourth assignment of error is not sustained. Sufficient ground had not been laid to prove the contents of lost records; and the evidence.offered was also irrelevant.
The remaining assignments of error relate to the charge of the court.. The proof of plaintiff's purchase of the iron from DeHaven, and his subsequent possession thereof, was so meager and unsatisfactory that the court submitted it to the jury quite as favorably for the plaintiff as ought to have ' been done. The rails were laid to facilitate the working of the mines under the tenancy. The tenant had the right to remove them during the term.' DeHaven went into possession under the Brittains. He assigned to Dougherty, who was in possession at the time of the sheriff's sale. Dougherty at once gave up the possession to Repplier. All Repplier's interest in the property was purchased by the defendants. They took away the rails before the expiration of the term for which the plaintiff had leased the premises.
Messrs. Wright and Camming, for plaintiff in error; Messrs. John TV. Ryon and Win. R. Smith, for defendant in error.
The jury has found that the rails were covered by the levy and sale. It is well settled that an engine or other machinery erected by a lessee, to carry on the business in which he. is engaged, is personal property during his term. Lemar v. Miles, 4 Watts 330; White's appeal, 10 Barr 253. As such, they may be sold on execution, and the purchaser thereof may, like the tenant, remove them before the expiration of the term. Taking the charge as a whole, we see no error therein.
Judgment affirmed.