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Full-Text Articles in Law

A Supplement To "Constitutionality Of Marketable Title Acts"-1951-1957, Ralph W. Aigler Dec 1957

A Supplement To "Constitutionality Of Marketable Title Acts"-1951-1957, Ralph W. Aigler

Michigan Law Review

An article bearing the title, "Constitutionality of Marketable Title Acts," was published in December 1951. It was there pointed out that such legislation, of which the Michigan act is an example, should be found to be within constitutional limits. It was recognized, however, that direct authority was scarce and that cases that might be deemed pertinent were conflicting.


Future Interests - Rule Against Perpetuities - Legislation Exempting Options To Purchase In Leases, Edward A. Manuel S.Ed. Nov 1957

Future Interests - Rule Against Perpetuities - Legislation Exempting Options To Purchase In Leases, Edward A. Manuel S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A recent West Virginia statute provides that in all leases subsequently executed, an option to purchase the whole or any part of the leased premises-exercisable during or at the end of the term is not subject to the rule against perpetuities. The statute also provides that the rule against perpetuities shall not constitute a defense to a suit to enforce such an option against the lessor. W. Va. Code (Michie, Cum. Supp. 1957) §3541(3).


Real Property - Adverse Possession - Title Acquired By Husband And Wife, Richard S. Rosenthal, George F. Lynch S.Ed. Jun 1957

Real Property - Adverse Possession - Title Acquired By Husband And Wife, Richard S. Rosenthal, George F. Lynch S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

John and Maltie Preston moved onto a parcel of land in 1910 where they lived until 1950 when John died intestate. Maltie died intestate in 1954. Title to the land had been perfected by twenty years adverse possession. Evidence showed that the adverse possession was intended to inure to their joint benefit. Complainants, collateral heirs of John, sued in ejectment claiming that John took the whole title by exclusive adverse possession. Defendants, collateral heirs of Maltie, claimed a tenancy by the entirety had been created, with the survivor, Maltie, becoming the sole owner. The court of appeals ruled that the …


Real Property - Joint Tenancy - Effect Of Contract To Convery By Joint Tenants Of Entire Interest In Property As A Severance Of The Joint Tenancy, George W. Marti Jun 1957

Real Property - Joint Tenancy - Effect Of Contract To Convery By Joint Tenants Of Entire Interest In Property As A Severance Of The Joint Tenancy, George W. Marti

Michigan Law Review

H and W, as owners of certain real state in joint tenancy with rights of survivorship, contracted to convey this property. Prior to conveyance, and while part of the purchase price still remained to be paid, H died. Petitioner, an heir of H, brought action in equity for a declaratory judgment to determine the effect of a contract to convey land held in joint tenancy. The lower court held the joint tenancy had been terminated by the contract of sale and the contract to convey was held by H and W as tenants in common so that on …


Constitutional Law - Due Process - Adequacy Of Notice By Publication, Cyril Moscow S.Ed. May 1957

Constitutional Law - Due Process - Adequacy Of Notice By Publication, Cyril Moscow S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In condemnation proceedings instituted by a city against a landowner, notice of proceedings to determine his compensation was given only by publication in the official city newspaper. The statute in force called for notice either in writing or by publication. After the time authorized for appeal from a compensation award had elapsed, the landowner brought an equitable action to enjoin the city from entering upon the property, alleging that he knew nothing of the condemnation proceedings until after the time for appeal had passed. The trial court denied relief, holding that the newspaper publication was sufficient notice to meet due …


Future Interests - Rule Against Perpetuities - Recent Kentucky Legislation Pertaining To Administrative Contingencies, Jules M. Perlberg S.Ed. May 1957

Future Interests - Rule Against Perpetuities - Recent Kentucky Legislation Pertaining To Administrative Contingencies, Jules M. Perlberg S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

A recent Kentucky amendment to its perpetuities statute follows the lead of Illinois in seeking a legislative solution to the problems inherent in applying the rule against perpetuities to administrative contingencies. The amendment provides, inter alia, that the vesting of any limitation of property "shall not be regarded as deferred for purposes of the rule against perpetuities or regarded as a suspension of the power of alienation of title to property merely because the limitation is made to the estate of a person, or to a personal representative, or to a trustee under a will, or to take effect on …


Simes & Smith: The Law Of Future Interests, Bertel M. Sparks May 1957

Simes & Smith: The Law Of Future Interests, Bertel M. Sparks

Michigan Law Review

A Review of The Law of Future Interests. 4 vols. By Lewis M. Simes and Allan F. Smith.


Real Property - Landlord And Tenant - Lessor's Arbitrary Withholding Of Consent To Sublease, William G. Mateer S.Ed. May 1957

Real Property - Landlord And Tenant - Lessor's Arbitrary Withholding Of Consent To Sublease, William G. Mateer S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Defendant leased a portion of plaintiff's building for a seven-year period. Contained in the lease was a covenant whereby the lessee agreed not to assign or sublet without the lessor's consent. One year prior to the expiration date of the lease, the defendant gave notice of his intention to vacate and submitted to the plaintiff a proposed sublease under which the premises would be rented to the Postmaster General of the United States. The plaintiff stipulated that the proposed sublessee was ready, able, and willing to assume the obligations of the original lease and was a proper sublessee in every …


Trusts - Improved Real Estate - Validity Of Depreciation Reserves, Ross Kipka S.Ed. Apr 1957

Trusts - Improved Real Estate - Validity Of Depreciation Reserves, Ross Kipka S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Depreciation of physical assets is an accounting procedure now taken for granted in the business and tax areas of the law. Its emergence in the field of trusts has been relatively slow, however, and even today it has not gained much acceptance by the courts. It is the purpose of this comment to examine some of the reasons why the courts have been reluctant in applying the depreciation concept to trusts, and in particular to those trusts that include improved real estate among the assets of the corpus.


Eminent Domain - Restrictive Covenants - Compensability Of Equitable Servitudes, Thomas A. Troyer Apr 1957

Eminent Domain - Restrictive Covenants - Compensability Of Equitable Servitudes, Thomas A. Troyer

Michigan Law Review

During appellee sanitation district's negotiations for the purchase of a tract of land owned by one Peterson, the eighteen appellants and thirty-seven other owners of land in the vicinity of Peterson's tract executed with Peterson and each other reciprocal covenants whereby each party agreed that his land should be restricted to certain uses, the use contemplated by appellee for Peterson's land being specifically excluded. When appellee and Peterson failed to reach an agreement in their negotiations and appellee filed a petition for condemnation of the land, appellants presented a cross-petition to the trial court, requesting that they be allowed to …


Real Property - Easements - Implied Easement Of Access , Created By Conveyance With Reference To Plat, As Surviving Vacation Of Street, Allen Dewey Apr 1957

Real Property - Easements - Implied Easement Of Access , Created By Conveyance With Reference To Plat, As Surviving Vacation Of Street, Allen Dewey

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff sued to recover his deposit and search fee on a contract for the purchase of lands, a valuable part of which lay within the limits of two vacated streets. He contended the title was unmarketable because all owners of lands conveyed with reference to a plat showing these streets had by those conveyances acquired easements of access which survived the subsequent vacation of the streets by municipal authorities. The vacated streets had never been used and there were no physical indicia of them. Evidence showed all the lots on the map had access to the public highway system without …


Restitution - Constructive Trust Relief For Breach Of Oral Contract To Create Trust In Land, Edward A. Manuel S.Ed. Feb 1957

Restitution - Constructive Trust Relief For Breach Of Oral Contract To Create Trust In Land, Edward A. Manuel S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff mining company sued to impose a constructive trust on mineral interests purchased by the defendant employee in breach of his oral agreement with the company. The agreement included a promise to hold any property so acquired in trust for the employer at his election. Ruling that this agreement was unenforceable under the Oklahoma statute of frauds, the trial court relied on the defendant's status as an ordinary employee without duties relating to the acquisition of mineral interests or access to confidential information, and gave judgment for the defendant. On appeal, held, affirmed. Without proof of positive fraud or …


Real Property - Landlord And Tenant - Need For Lessee Who Transfers Whole Term To Base Right Of Re-Entry On Condition Of "Substantial Advantage" To Him, John A. Beach S.Ed. Feb 1957

Real Property - Landlord And Tenant - Need For Lessee Who Transfers Whole Term To Base Right Of Re-Entry On Condition Of "Substantial Advantage" To Him, John A. Beach S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff lessee transferred his interest in the first floor and basement of certain commercial premises for the full remaining period of his own lease, retaining his interest in the second floor, where he lived. This transfer was in form a sublease, under which plaintiff as sublessor reserved power to cancel the sublease and take possession without notice if the premises were used for any purpose other than an off-sale liquor store. Plaintiff's transferee later assigned all his interest to defendant corporation, which immediately began converting the premises into an ice cream store. After defendant had spent over $10,000 in remodeling, …


Compulsory Joinder Of Parties In Civil Actions, John W. Reed Feb 1957

Compulsory Joinder Of Parties In Civil Actions, John W. Reed

Michigan Law Review

Compulsory joinder cases involving interests in land display one peculiar and important characteristic: there is almost never any need in the state courts to wrestle with the question of whether a person is indispensable as distinguished from necessary. One hastens to add that this attribute of land cases appears to have gone largely unnoticed, but it exists none the less. It arises out of the fact that in a suit involving real property it is never impossible for the court to obtain jurisdiction over all persons interested therein to an extent which will enable the court to adjudicate controversies over …


Negligence - Duty Of Care - Liability Of Builder And Architect To Third Party, Raymond J. Dittrich Feb 1957

Negligence - Duty Of Care - Liability Of Builder And Architect To Third Party, Raymond J. Dittrich

Michigan Law Review

The plaintiff, an infant, fell from the back porch of an apartment leased by his parents from a housing authority. The plaintiff brought actions for negligence against the architect who designed the dwelling, the builder who constructed it, and the housing authority which leased it, alleging that the back porch was so designed and constructed as to create a dangerous condition for the users thereof. The trial court dismissed the complaints against the builder and the architect. On appeal, held, reversed. Despite the lack of privity between the builder and the architect and the plaintiff, a good cause of …


Trusts - Jurisdiction - Trustee And Trust Assets Outside Jurisdiction Of Forum, Richard J. Riordan Jan 1957

Trusts - Jurisdiction - Trustee And Trust Assets Outside Jurisdiction Of Forum, Richard J. Riordan

Michigan Law Review

The purpose of this comment is to examine these rationales and determine their validity--first as to testamentary trusts and then as to inter vivos trusts.


Torts - Misrepresentation - Knowledge Of Falsity Unnecessary, Gerald D. Rapp Jan 1957

Torts - Misrepresentation - Knowledge Of Falsity Unnecessary, Gerald D. Rapp

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, a real estate broker, while showing plaintiffs a house which they subsequently purchased told them that the walls of the house were of tile construction with imitation stone on the outside. Defendant reasonably believed this to be true, although the walls actually had been cleverly constructed of earth, clay, and straw with a plaster covering on the inside and a tarlike preparation on the outside covered with a thin veneer of imitation stone, completely concealing their true nature. Purchasers brought an action, on the theory of deceit, against the broker to recover damages. A jury verdict for plaintiffs was …