Court Opinion

ID: 9811564
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 22:24:10.609054+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:16:24.486807
License: Public Domain

Douguas, J.,
concurring in result. While concurring in the judgment of the Court, I must dissent from its opinion, if it intends to hold that a tenant in common can, without the consent of his cotenants, put substantial improvements upon the common property, and thus obtain a lien thereon for the value of his improvements. This would permit him in its logical result to improve his co-owners entirely out of their own property. If this be the rule sought to be established, in my opinion, it would not only be contrary to the current of authority, but capable of very great abuse. A covenant has no right to control the property of others contrary to their will. If he wishes to improve the common property, he can very easily communicate with the other owners. If they consented, they would be equally bound, and perhaps if they did not object, they might be held to have acquiesced. It would impose no hardship upon him to require him to drop them a postal card, while it would impose very great hardship upon them to permit him to incumber the common property at his own pleasure without the consent or even knowledge of the co-owners. Such a ruling was not necessary to the decision of this case. The defendant is entitled to reimbursement for *464taxes, .and perhaps for insurance, either of which would be greater than the small balance of rents left after deducting the value of his improvements. In this way, the judgment can be sustained, and full justice done to the defendant without overturning or ignoring any of the well-established principles of equity. I therefore concur in the judgment of the Court, but respectfully dissent from its opinion as written.