Opinion ID: 2448519
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Attornment Statute

Text: The attornment statute, KRS 383.100, prevents a tenant from denying the title of his landlord. Specifically, the statute provides that the attornment of a tenant to a stranger shall be void, unless it be with the consent of the landlord. KRS 383.100. The Slushers contend that this statute prevents Great Western from denying their title. This argument is based upon the premise that Great Western came into possession of the mineral estate under the Slushers' lease and was thus legally attorned to the Slushers. This reasoning is fatally flawed. Great Western came into possession of the mineral estate under both the Slusher and the Stewart leases. Clearly, the Stewarts were not strangers, as they had record title ownership of the property, as recognized by Great Western and as the trial court so found. See Carr v. Smith, 281 Ky. 750, 137 S.W.2d 415, 417 (1940). Consequently, the Slushers had no right to lease the mineral estate superior to that of the Stewarts. See Kentucky-West Virginia Gas Co. v. Browning, Ky., 521 S.W.2d 516, 518 (1975). Under these circumstances, there is no basis for the application of the attornment statute.