US SUPREME COURT DECISIONS

WOODWARD V. BROWN, 38 U. S. 1 (1839)

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U.S. Supreme Court

Woodward v. Brown, 38 U.S. 13 Pet. 1 1 (1839)

Woodward v. Brown

38 U.S. (13 Pet.) 1

Syllabus

Where, by a misprision of the clerk of the circuit court, the judgment in a case brought up by a writ of error had not been entered according to the declaration, the Supreme Court allowed an amendment to be made by the entry of the judgment without awarding a certiorari to the circuit court. This was done in a case which had been brought up by a writ of error to the previous term of the Court.

It is a well established principle of law, that a tenant cannot dispute the title of his landlord, and where the Marshal of the District of Columbia, having a writ of habere facias possessionem for the west half of a lot in the City of Washington, took possession of the east half of the lot, and the tenant of the persons who claimed to be the owners of the lot attorned to the plaintiffs in the writ, such attornment was without authority and was void.

A tenant who disclaims his landlord's title is not entitled to notice to quit and deliver up possession.

In an action of ejectment, the day of the ouster need not be alleged, and it is sufficient if it is laid after the demise.

The specific date under a videlicet is not necessary in a declaration in ejectment, and may be rejected as surplusage if it sufficiently appears on the face of the declaration that the ouster was after the entry under the several demises.

The rule is well established that when the right of entry is by ouster of the title of the wife, the demise may be laid in the name of the husband or in the names of the husband and wife.

Mr. Brent, for the defendants in error, moved for a writ of certiorari to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the County of Washington on the allegation of a diminution of the record of the cause in that court. The clerk had, by a misprision, made an error in not entering the judgment according to the declaration.

Coxe, for the plaintiff in error, objected to the allowance of the motion. The case came up to the last term of this Court, and it is now too late to issue the certiorari asked for. The error cannot be chanrobles.com-red

Page 38 U. S. 2

amended without an application to the circuit court for authority to make the amendment. The clerk cannot, therefore, send up an amended record.

Mr. Brent -- In a writ of error in the King's Bench in England, amendments of the record can be made after the writ issued. He cited 5 Burrow 2730. 2 Strange 908.

The court allowed the amendment to be made in this Court. The case as stated in the opinion of the court was as follows.

"An action of ejectment was commenced by the defendants in error against the plaintiffs, to recover possession of the eastern half of lot numbered 2, in square numbered 348 in the City of Washington. Several distinct demises were laid in the declaration of different dates and for different periods of time."

"One of the demises was in the name of Jane Stinger, while she was single, but now Sarah Jane Brown, wife of the said James Brown, and another in the names of James Brown and Sarah Jane Brown, his wife."

"The general issue was pleaded, and the jury found a general verdict of guilty."

"On the trial the plaintiffs proved that up to 22 Nov., 1834, the defendant was the tenant of Sarah Jane Stinger, who intermarried with the plaintiff Brown in the fall of the year 1835. That after November, 1834, he refused to pay rent, and claimed to hold possession of the premises as tenant of the Bank of the United States. That at the time the premises were rented to the defendant, the said Sarah Jane was seized and possessed of the same in fee simple. And that about the time of his refusal to pay rent, notice was given to the defendant to quit, and also afterwards in January, 1835."

"Upon this evidence the plaintiffs rested their case, and the defendant's counsel moved the court to instruct the jury that they were not entitled to recover on the evidence, which instruction the court refused to give, and the defendant excepted to this opinion of the court."

"And the defendant proved that the deputy marshal, having a writ of habere facias possessionem against the defendant for the west half of said lot, but supposing the writ to be for the east half, of which the defendant was in possession, he was required by the deputy marshal to surrender the possession of the east half of the lot to the agent of the Bank of the United States, and he did surrender the possession to him, and the defendant agreed to hold possession under the bank. But the court overruled this evidence, to which opinion of the court the defendant also excepted."

The writ of error was prosecuted by the defendant in the circuit court. chanrobles.com-red

Page 38 U. S. 4



























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