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Michigan Law Review

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Articles 9481 - 9510 of 11192

Full-Text Articles in Law

Contracts-Statute Of Frauds-Estoppel Jun 1931

Contracts-Statute Of Frauds-Estoppel

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, the lessee of a building, with the consent of the owner, sub-let it for an increased rental. On the oral representation of the plaintiff that he would assign the sub-lease, which had one year and six months to run, defendant purchased the property. Plaintiff then refused to assign and claimed the rental under the sub-lease. The lower court excluded evidence of the oral promise on the ground that it was unenforceable under the Statute of Frauds. On appeal, it was held, one justice dissenting, that the proof of the oral promise to assign the lease should have been …


Copyrights-Radio Reception As Performance Witein Copyright Act Jun 1931

Copyrights-Radio Reception As Performance Witein Copyright Act

Michigan Law Review

By means of a master receiving set under its operation, and loudspeakers controlled by the guests, installed in its rooms, defendant hotel company made available the hearing of a copyrighted musical composition which had been broadcast. Neither the radio station nor the hotel was authorized to perform it. In a suit against the hotel company for alleged infringement of the copyright, relief was denied on the ground that reception did not constitute a performance within the meaning of the Copyright Act. The case was appealed and that question was certified to the Supreme Court. Held, that reception was essentially …


Courts-Power To Direct Verdicts Where Forbidden By State Constitution Jun 1931

Courts-Power To Direct Verdicts Where Forbidden By State Constitution

Michigan Law Review

ln a suit for personal injuries the district court of the United States for the district of Arizona directed a verdict for the defendant on the ground that the plaintiff was guilty of contributory negligence. The constitution of Arizona, sec. 5, art. 18 provides: "The defense of contributory negligence or of assumption of risk shall, in all cases whatsoever, be a question of fact and shall, at all times, be left to the jury." Held, that this section is not binding on a federal court sitting in Arizona, and does not prevent such court from directing a verdict when …


Courts-Removal Of Causes-Jurisdictional Amount Jun 1931

Courts-Removal Of Causes-Jurisdictional Amount

Michigan Law Review

Two suits for personal injuries, in each of which a claim for $5,000 was made, were removed to the federal court by defendant. Plaintiff's counsel in his opening statement said that as the result of the injuries one plaintiff was unable to work for two weeks and visited his doctor seven times and that the other was away from work for three weeks and also saw his doctor seven times. The wages of the first plaintiff were $55 a week; those of the second averaged $75 a week. He further stated that the injuries were not permanent, and that, except …


Deeds-Delivery In Escrow-Effect On Income Tax Jun 1931

Deeds-Delivery In Escrow-Effect On Income Tax

Michigan Law Review

A taxpayer, by written contract, had agreed to sell a 99-year leasehold for $195,000. $50,000 was to be paid in 1920, and the balance in 1921. The first payment was made in October, 1920, and a deed put in escrow, to be handed to the grantee on payment of the balance. The transaction was fully carried out as per contract, and the taxpayer was assessed income tax on the entire $195,000 as of 1920. Held, the deed having been delivered in escrow, the title relates back to the original delivery on performance of the condition, showing a completed transaction …


Easements-Way Of Necessity-Sale Of Servent Estate To Bona Fide Purchaser Without Notice Jun 1931

Easements-Way Of Necessity-Sale Of Servent Estate To Bona Fide Purchaser Without Notice

Michigan Law Review

M conveyed a portion of his land to X, through whom the defendant claims, the circumstances being such that X acquired a way of necessity over the land retained by M. X recorded his deed. Later M conveyed his remaining land to H, through whom the plaintiff claims. H was a purchaser for value without notice of the way of necessity. The plaintiff sought to enjoin the defendant from entering his land, and the defendant attempted to justify on the ground of this way of necessity. Held, under the recording acts the plaintiff as a bona fide purchaser took …


Equity-Power To Reform-Effect Of Statute Of Frauds Jun 1931

Equity-Power To Reform-Effect Of Statute Of Frauds

Michigan Law Review

The plaintiff made an oral contract to sell certain shares of stock to the defendant at a price of $1,160 a share, as a result of a telephone conversation. On the same day the plaintiff sent the defendant a written confirmation of the sale, in which the price of $1,060 a share was inserted by mistake. The New York Statute of Frauds makes such a contract unenforceable unless a note or memorandum thereof be in writing. Held, that although the parties intended to make a memorandum of the oral contract which they had made, the memorandum was of a …


Fixtures - Conditional Sale-Mortgage- Rights Of Parties Jun 1931

Fixtures - Conditional Sale-Mortgage- Rights Of Parties

Michigan Law Review

The plaintiff, holding a real estate mortgage recorded before the defendant's notice of conditional sale, bought in the premises at the foreclosure sale. The defendant claimed plumbing and heating fixtures sold to the mortgagor on a contract of conditional sale, notice of which was properly recorded according to the statute. Held, the defendant's title to the fixtures was not protected as against the plaintiff by the recording under the Massachusetts statute. Waverley Cooperative Bank v. Haner (Mass. 1930) 173 N.E. 699.


Infants-Liability On Tort Arising Out Of Contract Jun 1931

Infants-Liability On Tort Arising Out Of Contract

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff was the assignee of a conditional sales contract for an automobile purchased by defendant, a minor. The contract contained a provision that the car should not be used in connection with any violation of any state or federal law. The defendant was apprehended by federal officers while using the car for the illegal transportation of liquor. The car was seized and later forfeited, and the plaintiff brought a tort action for the conversion of the car. Held, the infancy of the conditional buyer was no defense to an action for conversion by a wilful, illegal use. Vermont Acceptance …


Landlord And Tenant-Covenants-Effect Of A Municipal Ordinance Jun 1931

Landlord And Tenant-Covenants-Effect Of A Municipal Ordinance

Michigan Law Review

L. let a building to T. with the provision in the lease that if the premises should be rendered unfit for occupancy by reason of fire or other casualty, L. would rebuild the same at his own expense. Subsequently the city council passed a building code prohibiting the rebuilding of a structure destroyed more than sixty per cent by fire. The building in this case was almost entirely destroyed by fire and L. was refused a permit to rebuild. Previous to the refusal of the commissioner to grant a permit, T. had preferred L. the monthly rent which L. had …


Marriag£-Insanity As Ground For Annulment Jun 1931

Marriag£-Insanity As Ground For Annulment

Michigan Law Review

Complainants sought to annul the marriage of their deceased brother on the ground that defendant, his widow, knowing him to be insane at the time, fraudulently procured the marriage. A statute provided for divorce on the ground, among others, of insanity at the time of marriage. On demurrer, held that the marriage was, under the statute, voidable only, could only be attacked directly in the life-time of the parties, and hence was not subject to collateral attack by the relatives after the death of the incompetent spouse. White v. Williams (Miss. 1931) 132 So. 573.


Mortgages-Assumption-Liability Of Grantees To Mortgagor Jun 1931

Mortgages-Assumption-Liability Of Grantees To Mortgagor

Michigan Law Review

Three successive grantees to a plot of land purchased it subject to a first and second mortgage and assumed the obligation to pay the notes which the mortgages secured. Foreclosure proceedings by the first mortgagee absorbed the entire value of the land. The second mortgagee then extended the time payment on the note to the last grantee without the consent or knowledge of the mortgagor or of the intermediate grantees. Such action released the intermediate grantees from liability on the note, for they were only secondarily liable, but did not release the mortgagor, for he as maker was primarily liable …


Mortgages - Effect Of Extension Of Time To Mortgagor Jun 1931

Mortgages - Effect Of Extension Of Time To Mortgagor

Michigan Law Review

The mortgagor sold part of the mortgaged premises to Morgan and Peters, who assumed the mortgage and agreed to pay the debt. They in turn resold to Jones and Dalton who also assumed the mortgage and agreed to pay the debt. The remainder of the mortgaged premises was sold by the mortgagor to Bursell under a warranty deed free from all incumbrances. The mortgagee at the request of the mortgagor and of Jones and Dalton but without the knowledge of Morgan and Peters extended the time of payment five years. The mortgage remaining unpaid at the end of that time, …


Negligence-Attractive Nuisance-Ponds Jun 1931

Negligence-Attractive Nuisance-Ponds

Michigan Law Review

The eleven year old son of the plaintiff was drowned by falling from a raft into a pond located upon the defendant's water-works property immediately adjacent to a public bathing beach. The pond was undeniably attractive to children and was left without guards, notices, or protection, and there was no clear indication where the public beach ended and the city property began. The lower court held that this constituted an attractive nuisance, but it was held on appeal that the doctrine of attractive nuisance does not apply to ponds. Fiel v. City of Racine (Wis. 1930) 233 N.W. 611.


Negligence-Proximate Cause Jun 1931

Negligence-Proximate Cause

Michigan Law Review

Defendant automobile driver, stopping his car between a line of parked motor cars and some street car tracks, opened the door on the left side of the automobile, with the result that the handle bar of plaintiff's bicycle struck the edge of the car door and plaintiff was thrown to the ground and injured. In the supreme court of Wisconsin, in an opinion containing, among other interesting features, model instructions for juries in the trial courts, it was held that liability for consequences of negligent acts is not limited to probable consequences but may attach to unforeseeable and improbable consequences. …


Taxation-Retrospective Succession Tax On Trust Remainder Jun 1931

Taxation-Retrospective Succession Tax On Trust Remainder

Michigan Law Review

The settlors voluntarily placed property in trust, the income from which was to be paid to them during their lives, the corpus to be divided upon the surviving settlors' death, among their sons, or if any son predeceased the survivor, among those persons entitled to take his intestate property. Subsequently the settlors assigned their life interest to the sons; this conveyance, however, in the case of Coolidge v. Loring, 235 Mass. 220, 126 N.E. 276, was held ineffectual to eliminate the possible effect of the contingency of any son predeceasing the surviving settlor. Between the execution of the deed …


Taxation-Situs Of Documents For Stamp Tax Jun 1931

Taxation-Situs Of Documents For Stamp Tax

Michigan Law Review

A South Carolina corporation had established credit with certain banks domiciled in other states, and, whenever a loan was desired, had executed a note payable to and at the out-of- state bank. The notes were mailed to the bank subject to withdrawal and revocation by the corporation, until actually received and accepted by the bank. When paid the notes were cancelled and returned to the corporation. A state tax collector ascertained that no stamp tax had been paid on these notes as required in South Carolina Acts of 1928, c. 574, sec. 1, and threatened to levy on the property …


Torts-Automobiles-Statute Limiting Liability To Gratuitous Passengers Jun 1931

Torts-Automobiles-Statute Limiting Liability To Gratuitous Passengers

Michigan Law Review

In her declaration, plaintiff alleged that while she was riding as a gratuitous passenger in defendant's automobile, she was injured as a consequence of defendant's gross negligence in permitting a person known by him to be incompetent to drive the automobile; that by reason of the incompetence of the driver, the car went into a ditch, causing the injury complained of. The defendant moved to dismiss the declaration on the ground that it did not charge actionable gross negligence and that the defendant was not liable for mere negligence under a Michigan statute. Held, that the declaration should be …


Torts--Fraudulent Misrepresentations-Expression Of Opinion Jun 1931

Torts--Fraudulent Misrepresentations-Expression Of Opinion

Michigan Law Review

On an exchange of property the defendant's agent, to induce the trade, fraudulently overvalued the defendant's property, and fraudulently undervalued certain taxes and assessments for which the plaintiff would be liable. Held, such statements by a vendor amounted to mere sales talk and opinion, and would be no basis for an action for fraud. Deshatreaux v. Batson (Miss. 1930) 131 So. 346.


Torts-Last Clear Chance Doctrine-Position Of Peril Jun 1931

Torts-Last Clear Chance Doctrine-Position Of Peril

Michigan Law Review

The trial court refused to give an instruction to the effect that "if the jury believed that the decedent, by her own negligence, had placed herself in a position of peril, and the defendant saw and realized her condition in time to avoid the accident by the exercise of ordinary care, but failed to do so, the defendant was solely responsible for her death." Held, that the instruction was rightly refused. Sadler v. Benson (Cal. App. 1930) 293 Pac. 126.


Trusts-Accumulations-Possibility Of Remoteness Jun 1931

Trusts-Accumulations-Possibility Of Remoteness

Michigan Law Review

Testator left his realty in trust to apply the net income, after the payment of certain expenses, eighty per cent to the use of a charity and certain persons, the other twenty per cent to a sinking fund "to restore, replace or make major improvements or additions to the buildings and improvements" of that realty. The income from the accumulated fund was to be paid to the charity; the principal expended at such times as the trustees deemed necessary. It was claimed the provision for this fund constituted an unlawful direction to accumulate income. Held, that income applied to …


Trusts-Liability Of Trust Estate For Torts Of Trustee Jun 1931

Trusts-Liability Of Trust Estate For Torts Of Trustee

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, an employee of a laundry of which the legal title was held in trust, was injured by an unguarded machine. The trustee was sued in tort in his representative capacity. There was no evidence as to whether the trustee himself or some agent was directly responsible for the condition of the premises. Held, the judgment of the lower court, directing that the plaintiff be paid out of the assets of the trust estate, was correct. Where the trustee is charged with the duty of carrying on a business the trust estate may be held liable for the negligence …


Vendor And Purchaser-Vendee's Lien-Failure Of Title Jun 1931

Vendor And Purchaser-Vendee's Lien-Failure Of Title

Michigan Law Review

The vendee of a contract for the sale of land discovered that there was great doubt as to whether the buildings were within the bounds described in the contract and whether there were encroachments. Alleging that these defects could not be corrected, he brought a bill in equity seeking cancellation of the contract and praying for a lien upon the lands for the money paid and the expenses incurred. The vendor counter-claimed for specific performance. Held, where the purchaser properly invokes the jurisdiction of the court and where it would be inequitable to compel specific performance, so far as …


Waters And Water Courses-Riparian Rights Of States On Interstate Streams Jun 1931

Waters And Water Courses-Riparian Rights Of States On Interstate Streams

Michigan Law Review

The state of Massachusetts enacted statutes proposing to increase the amount of diversion of water from the Connecticut River for urgent use in Boston and the surrounding metropolitan area. The state of Connecticut brought an original action in the Supreme Court of the United States to enjoin such proposed diversion, alleging that it would impair the navigability of the river, reduce flood waters to the injury of river bottom lands accustomed to annual inundations, prevent Connecticut from disposing adequately of refuse, and cause other injuries to the plaintiff state. Massachusetts answered, stating that the proposed diversion was not to exceed …


Wills-Interpretation-Divide And Pay Over Rule-Legacies Chargeable On Land Jun 1931

Wills-Interpretation-Divide And Pay Over Rule-Legacies Chargeable On Land

Michigan Law Review

The testator devised his realty to his widow for life with remainder to his son subject to the conditions that within one year after the death of the life tenant the son pay the testator's two daughters (naming them) $2,000 each. One of the daughters predeceased the life tenant, dying intestate and unmarried. The life tenant assigned to the surviving daughter all that she had inherited from the deceased daughter. Held, the assignment did not pass the $2,000 legacy to the deceased daughter. In re Phearman's Estate (Iowa 1930) 232 N.W. 826.


Book Reviews Jun 1931

Book Reviews

Michigan Law Review

Multiple book reviews by various authors.


Lay Encroachments On The Legal Profession, E. Smythe Gambrell Jun 1931

Lay Encroachments On The Legal Profession, E. Smythe Gambrell

Michigan Law Review

The holding of the Minnesota supreme court in the Otterness case that: "Neither a corporation nor a layman, not admitted to practise, can practise law, nor indirectly practise law by hiring a licensed attorney to practise law for others for the benefit or profit of such hirer" is one of many recent judicial pronouncements in defense of the legal profession. These decisions may prompt many individuals to ask why there should be a professional monopoly in the practise of law. Governmental restraint against free and unregulated practise of law is not for the purpose of advancing the individual interests of …


A Comparative Study Of The Statutory Survival Of Tort Claims For And Against Executors And Administrators, Alvin E. Evans Jun 1931

A Comparative Study Of The Statutory Survival Of Tort Claims For And Against Executors And Administrators, Alvin E. Evans

Michigan Law Review

The problem of the survival of actions after death of one of the parties is unfortunately not merely a mater of history. Like the poor, it is always with us. We can no longer profitably wave aside the problems likely to be presented by a comparative study of American legislation on survival by stating that our legislation covers the same general field as do the English statutes of 4 Edward III and 3 and 4 William IV and others of less importance. There is a need for an outline of these American statutes and for a rationalization of the principles …


Conflict Of Laws-Right Of Action For Foreign Tort Jun 1931

Conflict Of Laws-Right Of Action For Foreign Tort

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, an automobile guest, brought action against the driver in Wisconsin for personal injuries sustained in Illinois through the driver's negligence. After commencement of the action, but before trial, the parties intermarried and established a matrimonial domicil in Wisconsin. Held, that the law governing the creation and extent of tort liability is that of the place where the tort is committed; that by the law of Illinois the cause of action was extinguished because of the legal unity of husband and wife; and therefore that the suit must abate, despite the fact that suits between spouses are ordinarily permitted …


Corporations-Duty Of Corporate Trustee To Record Mortgage Securing Bonds Jun 1931

Corporations-Duty Of Corporate Trustee To Record Mortgage Securing Bonds

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff became the holder of bonds issued under and secured by a collateral trust agreement executed in Pennsylvania. The mortgage contained the provision that " * * * the trustee, save for its gross negligence or wilful default, shall not be personally liable for any loss or damage" and further that "It shall be no part of the duty of the trustee to record this instrument as a mortgage." The mortgage was not recorded nor the mortgage debt satisfied. Plaintiff sued the trustee in New York for negligence. Held, the contract limited the obligations and duties of the trustee, …