Court Opinion

ID: 9694239
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 17:31:19.328947+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:19:57.741055
License: Public Domain

*1258OliveR, J.
(specially concurring) — Section 562.2, Code of Iowa, 1946, provides a tenant willfully holding over shall pay double the rental value. Here the holding in dispute was from June 1, 1946 to August 7, 1948. The question is whether appellant was willfully holding over for all or a part of this period, so as to render him liable for double the rental value while so willfully holding, over.
This court has never construed the statutory language above italicized. • However, the general rule appears to be that if the holding over is under a bona fide claim of right based on reasonable grounds, the tenant is not liable for double the rental value. Barson v. Mulligan, 191 N. Y. 306, 84 N.E. 75, 16 L. R. A., N. S., 151; Ancona Printing Co. v. Welsbach Co., 92 N. J. Law 204, 104 A. 132; Jones v. Taylor, 136 Ky. 39, 123 S.W. 326, Ann. Cas. 1912A. 276; Cooke v. Gaidry, 309 Ky. 727, 218 S.W.2d 960, 10 A. L. R. 2d 778; 32 Am. Jur., Landlord and Tenant, section 934; 52 C. J. S., Landlord and Tenant, section 550, page 362.
The judgment of the trial court in the former case sustained appellee’s claim of his right to hold the premises. As long as this judgment was in effect it would indicate appellee’s claim was bona fide and based upon reasonable grounds. However, that judgment was reversed by this court. The procedendo was filed in the trial court March 15, 1948. This constituted a final adjudication that appellee was holding over without right and thereafter there could be no bona fide claim to the contrary. Patefield v. Fidelity & Casualty Co., 255 Wis. 92, 37 N.W.2d 873, 874; Aiken v. Solomon, 298 Mich. 123, 298 N.W. 476, 134 A. L. R. 888.
Hence I agree with the holding of the majority that from March 15, 1948, appellee was liable for double the rental value of the property because he was willfully holding over within the purview of the statute.
Bliss, C. J., and Garfield, Smith, Mulroney, and Hays, JJ., join in this special concurrence.